Fire Within
by thelostphilosopher
Summary: After an accident forces her to confront the powers she's had her whole life, Alessia befriends a local farmer, Clint Barton. But even after she starts to learn how to use her powers, Clint's superhero status thrusts Alessia into the live-or-die world the avengers inhabit & she begins to understand the origins and nature of her pyrokinesis. Bucky/OC Bucky X OC
1. Prelude

Prelude: Three years earlier

(circa just after the events of the first Avengers film)

When Alessia was seventeen it happened again. She hadn't meant to do it. It hadn't happened in years, but it happened, and she ran.

Terrified, she ran through the night, hardly stopping to catch her breath. She ran until dawn broke, and then she fell asleep.

It must have been about seven in the morning when she woke up to the chirping of birds in the bluish morning light. Her clothes were ragged and she was sweaty, and when she sat up in the trees and twigs she realized she wasn't alone.

A man was sitting on a fallen tree only a short distance from her. When she sat up he turned and smiled at her.

"Rough night?" Was all he asked. Alessia was shocked. She should have been scared, but she wasn't. He stood up and made his way over to her. He offered her a hand.

"What are you running from?" He asked. It wasn't so much an accusation, as it was a question of concern. Maybe that was why Alessia said honestly:

"Myself."

She allowed herself to be helped up by him, and he said: "Why don't you come have some breakfast and a shower. My wife can lend you some clothes."

Alessia was trembling as she followed him through the woods.

"Whats your name?" She asked him nervously.

"Clint," He said "What's yours?"

"Wait, Clint? Clint Barton? Laura's husband?" Alessia asked, stunned.

"You know Laura?" Clint asked, surprised, turning to face Alessia. He seemed to tense at this, and Alessia felt suddenly intimidated.

"Yes, she's had dinner with us." Alessia said. "I'm Alessia Haddock, I-I think we're neighbors." Laura had come over a few times with their two kids to have dinner with them. She always apologized that Clint couldn't make it, but his job took him out of town often.

Clint laughed. He seemed more relaxed now.

"Alessia," He said, resuming his pace. "Yes, my wife has mentioned you. But what's the matter, did something happen?" He asked, now eyeing her clothes with somewhat more interest. They were dirty and torn and burnt.

"Well, um, yes." Alessia said. She didn't know exactly what she was supposed to do now. Her parents had always told her not to tell anyone about her 'little problem' as they always called it. But Clint was going to want to know. He seemed nice, but she was going to have a hard time coming up with an excuse for showing up like she had.

The forest had begun to thin out, and Alessia could see Clint's farm now. Meanwhile cogs were turning in Alessia's head. How was she supposed to explain herself?

But Clint didn't ask her about it again. When they got to his house his wife was busy in the kitchen.

"Have a nice walk, honey?" She asked, busy stirring what looked like pancake batter in a bowl. When she glanced up and saw Alessia, bedraggled and dirty, she stopped dead.

"Alessia! what on-" She began, and Clint cut her off saying.

"I think she's had a bit of a night. I told her she could stay for breakfast. Is that alright?"

"Well, yes," Laura said, her expression softening. But Alessia didn't want to look her in the eyes. These people were being way too nice to her. If they knew what she'd done only hours before...

"Here, Clint why don't you take over in here, and I'll show Alessia the bathroom so she can freshen up."

Laura set the bowl down on the counter and, putting a comforting arm over Alessia's shoulders guided her through the house, up the stairs and to the guest bedroom and bathroom. "I'll get you some clothes to change into, and you can take a shower," Laura said kindly, trying to smile at Alessia. Alessia still couldn't meet her eyes.

"Thank you." Was all she said.

Alessia got out of the shower and found that Laura had left her some cotton workout pants and a tee shirt. she changed into the clean clothes and patted her hair dry as best as she could. Everything about this situation was wrong. Any minute they were going to turn on the local news channel and see the repercussions of last's night's failure. What was she going to do?

She came down stairs a bit nervously. The kitchen smelled like pancakes. When she came in the kids were up and bombarding Clint in their pajamas. It sounded like he had been away for a while again, because they were recounting at least a week's worth of school to him. When Cooper and Lila caught sight of her in the doorway, they dashed over to her.

"Alessia, what are you doing here?" Lila asked, excitedly.

"She's just coming to visit for the morning" Laura said sweetly, guiding her children to the table and into their seats.

"Sit down Alessia, breakfast is almost ready." Laura said, moving back to the stove. Moments later Alessia was presented with a steaming pile of pancakes. Laura passed a bottle of maple syrup and a can of whipped cream around.

It was too surreal, sitting there with them. Listening to Lila and Cooper laugh and beg Clint for more whipped cream on their pancakes. He obliged, completely obscuring both their plates in the white fluff. Alessia couldn't help but smile at this.

That moment the phone rang. Laura stood up and quickly checked the caller ID. She glanced at Clint, who gave her a meaningful look, and she turned to Alessia.

"Would you come here for a moment dear?" She asked.

Alessia felt her stomach drop. _What is this?_ She thought, immediately thinking of every worst possibility. _The police found out, they're coming for me, they'll take me away, experiment on me, oh HOW could I be so STUPID._

She followed Laura into the hallway outside of their kitchen, the phone still ringing in her hand.

"I called your parents earlier, while you were in the shower, but they didn't answer. I didn't tell them anything. If you want to tell them where you are, you can, but if you don't, they don't have to know. We can keep you safe here, Alessia." She said.

Alessia was stunned. But as soon as she processed all of that relief washed through her. "I-I think it's fine if they know where I am.." Alessia said nervously, wondering if this was the right answer. Laura smiled kindly, and answered the phone.

"Yes Hello?... Yes I'm sure, well you'll be happy to know that Clint found her this morning...Yes, she's fine, looks a bit tired though...No, no trouble at all. Would you like to talk to her?" Alessia glanced up and shook her head profusely. She was sure she'd get an earful from her parents later anyways. "Oh, sorry she's still in the shower," Laura said. "Yes, do you still have the directions from when you got those tomato plants? Great, just come on over, no rush, she's fine here... Alright I'll see you in a bit then." Laura hung up the phone. She smiled at Alessia and rubbed her shoulder.

"Clint said we couldn't be sure you didn't run away from home. I told him I know your parents, but, well, I guess Clint has a harder time trusting people."

"You mean, if I was running away, you wouldn't have told them?" Alessia asked, incredulously.

Laura smiled again. "Not if you had a good reason to be running away."

Alessia wanted to smile. But she was starting to wonder if maybe she shouldn't have let Laura tell her parents where she was. She could have gone out on her own. Let them live their lives without worrying about her. But even as she thought that, she knew her parents would always worry about her. Her parents were too nice. Like the Barton's. Nobody treated her like she deserved to be treated. Like the monster that she was.

"Alessia honey, are you alright?" Laura asked. Alessia realized that she had started crying. Alessia nodded, trying her best to keep her sobs inward. Last night... things were only going to get worse for her here on out. Would she have to move? Worse, would her parents have her move out on her own now? If the family couldn't afford to move...

"Alessia, is everything okay?" Laura asked. "Your parents are going to be here soon. I'm sure you've had quite a night. Do you want to talk about it?"

"I can't tell anyone.." Alessia said, perhaps louder than she meant to. "I can't tell anyone anything or everything's ruined.." She said, softer. She wiped her eyes and looked at Laura for the first time since she'd gotten there. "I'm sorry, god, I'm sorry, I must seem like a total wreck." She took a deep breath. "Maybe I should just wait outside for my mom..."

"Don't be silly." Laura said. Her hand was still on Alessia's arm comfortingly. "Come on, you'll probably feel better after you eat something. Let's get in there while the food's still warm."

"Yeah," Alessia said weakly. "Just gimme a sec." Laura smiled, and went back into the kitchen. Alessia turned to the downstairs bathroom, and, after blowing her nose and rinsing her face off, returned to the kitchen.

The kids had finished eating and Alessia heard Clint telling them they should go get dressed. Probably because he could tell she had been crying in the hallway. Alessia appreciated that she wouldn't have to worry about the kids seeing her tear stained face.

Clint and Laura made light conversation with Alessia while she finished eating. It took a few bites before she realized how hungry she was. After finishing a plate of pancakes, Laura refused to let her help clean, and instead Alessia found herself sitting on the couch with Clint. The kids had come out and put cartoons on. In spite of herself, Alessia found herself laughing along with them. It was just at such a moment that she was laughing, having forgotten the situation, that there was a knock on the door.

Alessia stood up at once. But Clint was up and at the door before she could cross the room. He opened the door, revealing Alessia's tear stained mother and father on the porch. As soon as the door was open, Alessia's mother rushed to her and pulled her into a bone crushing hug.

"Oh my goodness, Alessia, don't ever do that to me again, I was worried sick."

As soon as she was done, Alessia's father hugged her as well. "Why didn't you come home last night? we were so worried about you."

Amidst her parent's chirps and worries, Alessia heard Clint turn off the T.V and ask the kids to go upstairs.

Finally Alessia's parents were done hugging her and turned to Clint, who was leaning against the kitchen door frame with Laura.

"We can't thank you enough for finding her," Alessia's mother said. She was still holding Alessia to her chest, which was a bit uncomfortable since Alessia was about four inches taller than her mother.

"You must be Clint," Alessia's father said "I'm Allen, and this is my wife Jess."

"Nice to meet you." Clint said, with a smile. "Stay for a while, won't you?"

"Oh, I think Alessia has had a rough couple of hours, and it's best to get her home," Alessia's mother said. She had relaxed her grip on Alessia enough so that her daughter could stand up straight, but was still holding her closely.

"I think I can help you." Clint said, abruptly. Alessia's parent's exchanged glances.

"What do you mean?" Alessia's mother asked. But Clint wasn't looking at her, he was looking at Alessia.

"I found you in the woods this morning with burnt clothes, and then there's a story on the news about a car up in flames. You can't tell me you didn't have something to do with it."

Alessia felt her eyes start to water. "There was a story? Was- was anybody hurt?" She asked, voice trembling.

Clint looked at her very hard for a second. He glanced at her mother, then to her father, then said: "Yes. A boy died."

Alessia sat down on the couch. She didn't remember it happening, but suddenly she became aware that she was hyperventilating, and rocking back and forth slightly and saying through her sobs, "I really didn't mean to do it. I promise I didn't mean to do it. He just.. He just wouldn't stop touching me, not even when I said no. I didn't mean to do it..."

Nobody was touching her now, nobody was comforting her. She glanced up and saw her mother was white with shock, her face slack. Her father had his back to her. Only Clint met her eyes, a knowing look on his face. It was he that made his way over to her on the couch, took her shoulders and said to her:

"I can help you."

Alessia's breathing started to normalize. "I can help you," He repeated. "But you have to tell me what's going on."

Alessia wiped her eyes and glanced to her mother. Her mother was still staring off into space.

"Mom," She said weakly, "Mom, is it okay? Can I tell him?"

Her mother cocked her head a bit and then said softly "It's your decision Alessia, do what you think is right."

Alessia looked back at Clint, who was still kneeling in front of her on the couch, hands on her shoulders.

"Okay. I'll tell you, but it's kind of a lot to explain.

After Laura had placated Alessia's parents in the kitchen with some tea, Clint asked Alessia if she'd rather talk elsewhere, to which she eagerly said yes. Her parents didn't seem like they could take a lot of this talk anymore. When Alessia and Clint left they were still sitting silently while Laura tried to fill the silence with chatter.

Clint took her up to the guest bedroom and opened the curtains. Alessia sat down on the bed and Clint took an armchair.

"Okay well, I guess I kinda have to start from the beginning, which is that my parents had a really hard time trying to have a baby. Apparently they tried everything, like even super sketchy pills from the internet and stuff, but nothing worked. So they started thinking about adoption. But adoption is really complicated and a couple of agencies shut them down for stupid things like where our house is and stuff like that. They had been looking for months, and then one day my grandmother's barn caught on fire.

"I mean, at the time she was a lot younger I guess, and she rushed out there trying to save her goats, but the thing was burning to the ground. It's just lucky it didn't spread over the rest of her yard. But anyway, she let it burn through the night, and the next day she went looking around through the remains and she found me."

Clint sat up straighter. Alessia sighed.

"Yeah, I know, its weird, but it's true. I was just laying there in the ashes. My grandmother said I looked about three months old. I wasn't wearing anything but this necklace," Alessia plucked at the gold chain, from which dangled the delicate red jewel. "This is the only clue I have from my birth parents. Or whoever left me there. I could have been a lab rat for all I know. We took it to a jeweler when I was about two: they couldn't figure out the stone or the metal. All I know is that I've melted hinges off of barn doors, but this chain somehow holds up.

"There weren't any reports of a missing baby girl that were the right age to be me. If someone lost me they never told anyone. My grandmother thinks I was abandoned, but I think I was some kind of science experiment, and someone took pity on me and broke me out and left me there. I don't know though, I guess it could be anything.

"I used to light stuff on fire a lot when I was a baby. My parents actually made my bed for me in the fireplace after a while because it was just too dangerous elsewhere. They did all the research you could do about spontaneous human combustion, because that was the only thing that remotely resembled my symptoms. But they looked and looked, but never had anybody heard of a fireproof baby.

"I guess they thought if they told the doctors I'd be taken away, so instead they told everyone I was found on their doorstep in a little pink blanket like some kind of fairy tale orphan. I've never told anyone about it before now..

"When I got older, I learned that fire was bad, that it could hurt people. My parents thought my fire bursts were random until I started talking, and they realized I would start fires when I was angry or happy or excited. They started teaching me not to let my emotions get the better of me and by the time I went into kindergarten, it seemed like maybe it was just a phase I had gone through.

"Except the last time it happened I was eight. Our cat had gotten run over by one of my dad's friends. I remember looking down and seeing my body on fire, but I couldn't feel it. I think I had sort of forgotten that I used to do it when I was little. I ran down to the river and got into the water, and all around me it turned to steam. I stayed in there until the steam went away and my body was normal temperature. My parents were really scared. They lectured me about how I couldn't let it happen again because I'd hurt myself. I think they thought that somehow fire could hurt me, but it can't. I've stuck my hand in bonfires, and it feels like warm air is blowing over it."

Alessia looked down at her hands, then back up at Clint. He didn't look scared, he was just looking at her, listening to her story.

"I don't understand any of it. Do.. do you? Do you know why I can do this stuff?" Alessia asked.

"Honestly?" Clint said "No, I've never heard of someone who can do the things you can do."

Alessia looked away, tears forming in her eyes. She should have known.

"Hey, its okay," Clint said gently "I've seen way weirder things than you before."

Alessia looked up. He looked serious. "Are you for real?" She asked, doubtful.

Clint laughed. "Yes, I'm 'for real.' I have a pretty unique job. Besides, don't you watch the news? The big green guy in new york last week? I mean, I think he'd qualify. C'mon now, don't cry." Clint sat beside Alessia on the bed, and put an arm over her shoulder.

"Alessia, I'd like to offer you a job." He said.

"What?" Alessia asked, confused. This was not the turn she had expected this to take.

"Around the farm. I'm away so much with work, Laura could use the extra help. Could you do that? A sort of ranch hand, mother's assistant type deal?"

"Well, Well yes." Alessia said, still confused. "But I don't-"

"Look, I said I had never heard of anybody who can do what you can, but I'll look into it. I have some friends who might know more about this type of thing than me. I think I can help you learn to control your powers, maybe even use them for good." Clint said. Alessia just looked at him. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"What do you think, are you up for it?" Clint asked.


	2. Chapter One

Chapter one

(present day, after the events of Age of Ultron)

"Alessia, are you sure you wouldn't rather go home tonight? You've been training all day-" Laura asked. She and Clint were posed for the door, about to leave.

"I'm fine, the kids will be in bed soon anyways. Besides, you guys haven't been out in ages, you should go have fun." Alessia said. She was sprawled on the couch in an over sized sweater, socks and comfy jeans. It was true she was a bit sore after that day- Clint had been teaching her more sparring moves- but she didn't mind staying the night. After all, it meant she wouldn't have to make the forty-five minute drive back into town.

"Oh, alright." Laura conceded. Clint smiled at his wife as he helped her put her coat on. "She's right you know, I haven't taken you out in ages."

Laura opened the door and stepped out into the night. "Thanks for sitting, Alessia," She said as she waved goodbye.

"mind you get enough sleep tonight, tomorrow I have a surprise for you," Clint said walking out the door.

"I will," Alessia said. Clint gave her a smile as he left.

"You kids have fun now!" Alessia called out, teasingly. She heard Laura and Clint chuckle as the walked off the porch. The car headlights came on, and she heard the engine as they drove away.

Alessia put Lila and Cooper to bed shortly after, and after feeding Nathaniel a bottle of warm formula, she settled him up in his nursery as well. At that point she returned to the living room and settled in to watch the news.

It had been three years since she had started working for the Barton's. She was now twenty, and had an apartment in the city nearby which she shared with two roommates. She worked at the local ice rink when she wasn't working on Clint and Laura's farm. It kept her able to pay her rent and groceries, but she didn't have too many luxuries.

Her job on the Barton's farm had started out pretty straightforward at first. Clint showed her how to operate the tractor and the tiller and she helped out with the garden and the animals. Sometimes she would help Laura with the cooking and watch the kids, like she was tonight.

But it was only a couple weeks after Clint hired her that he made good on his promise and came back from another work trip with news for her.

He had taken her out into the field with a large cardboard box. Laura and the kids were out running errands, so Alessia was expecting something exciting and dangerous, but when he opened the box it was fireworks.

"Your powers get out of control because you never learned to use them." He had said. He handed her a sparkler. "Light it up," He told her.

Alessia had taken it from him. "Uh," She stared up at him. He was looking at her expectantly. "Well, I mean, I've never done it on purpose..." She said weakly.

"If you can't learn to turn it on, you won't be able to learn to turn it off." He said. Alessia looked down at the sparkler. She focused on the sparkler. But no matter how hard she stared at it, nothing seemed to happen.

"Okay," Clint had said finally. "Whatever you're doing isn't working. When it's happened before it was because you were upset wasn't it? Maybe try remembering the things that triggered it before."

Alessia sat there with those fireworks for almost two hours, and then found her entire body on fire.

Alessia smiled at this memory. Since Clint had started helping her, she had not only learned to control her powers, but he had also started teaching her how to fight. First just simple things like how to make a fist, but soon he had her sparring. He had shown her several different guns and how to hold them and fire them. A few weeks ago he had gotten out some targets and bows and arrows and started teaching her archery. Her aim was getting a lot better.

Alessia had zoned out in front of the T.V. There didn't seem to be any worrisome news tonight- Mostly they were talking about the weather and some cute animal story. Alessia felt relaxed. These days, she wouldn't be surprised if the news announced that the king of mars had declared war. It was always good to keep up to date.

She was just dozing off when she heard a strange noise from outside. She sat up, wondering what it could be. Maybe a fox had gotten into the hen house? However when she sat herself up groggily she heard voices. For a second she thought perhaps Clint and Laura were home, but then the front door burst open.

She stood up at once, ready to fight. All she could think was that the kids were upstairs. She prayed they wouldn't wake up for this. _Oh god if Nathaniel starts crying…_ She thought hopelessly.

There were six men, all wearing black suits that resembled swat uniforms, except that they didn't have the clear shields or the white letters. Heart racing wildly Alessia could only stand stock still. They were all armed and she had nothing. If she tried to burn them she risked setting the place on fire, and there'd be no way she could save the kids upstairs if she did that. So when one of the men, his face obscured in a helmet with a mirrored visor yelled at her "Hands where I can see 'em." She did it without a second thought.

"Where's your dad?" Another one asked her, his gun pointed at her chest. Alessia could feel tears welling up behind her eyes. She couldn't begin to understand what was happening. Why did he care where her dad was?

"Come on, we're not playing. Is he here?" The man demanded.

"Wh-Who?" Alessia asked, wishing more than anything she could let the fire she felt brewing within her release. But the kids. She reminded herself I wouldn't be able to get to the kids in time.

"I don't have time for this! Barton, your father, Clint Barton, where is he?" The man whose gun was pointed straight at Alessia's chest barked. Alessia felt herself sweating. One more loud shout and Nathaniel would be crying for sure. _They wouldn't hurt a baby surely? They think Clint is my dad._ Alessia thought, wildly trying to grasp the situation.

"He went out. They said they were getting drinks." She said nervously. Alessia had always suspected Clint had a dangerous job, but she didn't think something like this could happen. Not at the house. Not to her.

"Please, why are you here?" Alessia asked. One of the other men grabbed her hands from the air where she had put them, and roughly brought them behind her back. She felt metal close around her wrists.

"Just picking up something," said the man behind her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw another of the men drawing a syringe out of a case. They man who had handcuffed her held her tightly in his grasp as she watched helplessly while the other tapped the air out of the syringe and squirted some of the yellowish liquid out.

"Hold her still now," Said the man with the syringe. The man who handcuffed her gripped her even tighter. She struggled hopelessly as the syringe was lifted to her neck. _If only the kids were out of the house, I could burn these bastards._ She thought angrily. She felt the prick of the needle and a sting as the shot entered her system.

"Alright, lets get out of here," Said one of them, but it seemed distant and faint to Alessia, though he must have been in the room with her. She felt herself being lifted roughly and thrown over the shoulder of the man who had handcuffed her. She was looking at the dark material of the back of his shirt. But soon the texture of the fabric began to fade out and the world swirled into fathomless darkness.


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Alessia woke up in a white room. Blinding white actually, and the florescent bulbs were buzzing overhead. She blinked, trying to get her eyes to adjust to it. Her head was throbbing and it took her a minute to remember what happened.

 _Right, kidnapped and drugged._ She thought. _No wonder my head hurts, god I hope whatever they gave me doesn't have some kind of weird side effect._

She was still fighting to open her eyes to the blinding room, but she had seen enough to know that she wasn't the only one in there. Behind her back she felt her hands bound in what felt like nylon rope. In her daze she mused that whoever kidnapped her had no idea that she could melt it like butter. _That's good she thought,_ forcing her eyes open to see two other women, also with their hands tied and apparently on the edge of consciousness. _Thats good, maybe I can take them by surprise._

One of the women, the brunette closest to Alessia, sat up and squinted at Alessia, and something behind her. Alessia followed her gaze and realized they weren't the only ones there. A man was slumped against the wall a few feet from Alessia, but unlike the women, he was not bound with rope.

Instead, his right arm hung at his side, and his left was strapped to the wall with a series of metal braces. His left arm was buckled up in an L shape, so he couldn't slip out, but the most remarkable thing was that his arm was made entirely of metal. Alessia would have thought it must have been some kind of armor, but he was wearing just a tank top, and she could see where the metal met with the flesh. It had to be a prosthetic, but she had never seen one like it. No wonder they had buckled him to the wall the way they had. He surely would be able to rip most other bonds with the strength his arm must possess.

Alessia looked back at the brunette woman who had woken up. Every time Alessia moved her head it felt like the room was spinning. The other women seemed to be in a similar state, whereas the man with the metal arm had his face slumped onto his shoulder and didn't seem to be stirring.

The brunette woman was shaking her head and said softly. "Where are we?"

The other woman, a strawberry blonde with bangs sat up and leaned against the wall opposite Alessia. "Hey wait," Alessia said blinking at the strawberry blonde woman "I know you- You're Pepper Pots!"

"Mmmm" She groaned in reply. She sounded out of breath, like they all did. "Yes, I'm Pepper."

"Wait, so you're Iron Man's girlfriend?" The brunette women asked. Alessia twitched her feet and realized that they all had rope binding their ankles as well. She also realized that her legs were painfully asleep. She was still in just socks with no shoes, and the ratty sweater and jeans she had worn that day to work on the farm.

"Yes." Pepper said.

"I'm Jane," Said the brunette woman.

"I'm Alessia," Alessia said, wiggling her hips and knees around trying to wake up her legs. "Either of you got a clue who this guy could be?"

"No, but I think I might know why we're here," Jane began. However she was interrupted by the door on the far end of the room opening.

It was another of the helmeted men. The three women fell silent as he entered the room. Alessia braced herself for the worst, but he merely set a laptop down on the floor a few feet away from her. He opened it up to reveal a glowing light blue screen. There were no icons of any sort, and Alessia noticed that there were only about five buttons where there should have been a whole keypad, and no touch pad. It was angled so that all four of them could see the screen. The man set it down without a word, then turned and walked back out of the room, shutting the heavy metal door behind him with a loud clank.

Alessia inched towards it curiously.

"Wait," Jane said. They were all starting to sound more alert now. "Be careful, it could be dangerous."

"You said you know why we're here," Pepper said to Jane.

"Yes, well, I might have an idea. Alessia, I bet you're involved with somebody from the avengers too. And I wouldn't be surprised if -if he is as well."

All three of them looked back at the unconscious man cuffed to the wall. His face was still hidden behind long shaggy brown hair, and buried in his shoulder.

"I'm Thor's- well, we sort of... we sort of see each other. You know when he's... in the galaxy." Jane said awkwardly.

"Wait, so you think someone is holding us for ransom?" Pepper asked. Alessia meanwhile was inching closer to the laptop. The five buttons were labeled with strange symbols she didn't recognize.

"Well that's a great theory, but since I'm not dating Captain America or shagging the Hulk, I don't see why I'm here." Alessia said. But she worried. Someone could have learned about her powers and wanted to weaponize them, or experiment on her. On top of that, her powers still made her something of a commodity. Maybe someone _would_ try and use her as a bargaining chip with the Avengers. But wait, thats not what happened.

"No, no wait, last night, they thought Clint was my dad. They have no idea who I am." Alessia said, looking at Jane and then Pepper for an answer. Neither said anything.

Alessia suddenly felt a cold shock run through her, through her heart, her armpits, down to her fingers. "Wait, Clint isn't an Avenger, is he?" Alessia asked. But even as she thought it, it all started to make sense. _That's why he was always so cool about me. That's why he has to go away for work so long. That's how he knows how to fight and use guns and stuff. That's why Laura always worries so much when he's away. That's why he gets all of his mail delivered in a P.O box. That's gotta be why he picked a house in the middle of nowhere that's not even on google maps._

"A-Alessia, are you alright?" Pepper asked hesitantly. Alessia didn't say anything. How did she not put it together before? She'd always thought Clint must be FBI or black ops, or something like that, why had it never crossed her mind? He was always so unfazed and unworried about her powers, probably because he'd seen The Hulk in action and fought beside a Norse god. A pyrokinetic teenager would have seemed like no big deal to him.

"S-So you think-" Jane started, but once again she was interrupted. This time it was the laptop glowing on the ground before them. The screen changed from blue to black. The three women stopped and stared at the screen. From black it changed to a fuzzy silhouette of a person's head. A loud, shrill ringing emitted from it. Alessia wished she could cover her ears. The ringing stopped and a voice filled the room instead. Gruff, as though modified, and rather static, Alessia struggled to make out what it was saying.

"As you have realized, you have been taken into our custody for the time being. You will be released upon the compliance of you friends and family members. We will be putting you on a live feed with them momentarily so that you can assure them you are safe. If the team fails to meet our demands, you should know that the consequences will be carried out on your behalf."

The message ended, fading back to black.

Alessia turned to Pepper and Jane. They looked about as terrified as Alessia felt.

Alessia was about to speak, when the screen lit up again. This time however, Alessia was relieved to see a familiar face, as it a grouping of several men and a few women peering at them from the screen.

"Tony!" Pepper said, inching over to get closer. Sure enough, one of the faces was the unmistakable mug of the billionaire Alessia had seen so many times on the news. He, and all the others looked quite concerned. However, Alessia had noticed someone she had not expected.

"Natasha?" She asked, incredulously looking at the red head peering from behind the shoulder of a blonde man. Natasha had stayed with Barton's several times, but Alessia had never known she worked with Clint.

"Is everybody alright?" asked the blonde man Natasha stood behind.

"Yes, we're okay," Pepper said.

" _Well_ ," Alessia began.

"Jane, everything will be okay, we're going to get you out of there," Said a different blonde man, with longer hair, who was leaning on both hands forward on what must have been the edge of the control panel for the screen they were looking at. He seemed the most anxious of the bunch.

"Alessia, is everyone okay?" Clint asked. He was sitting between the two blonde men, presumably the longer haired of the two being Thor.

"I don't know about this one," Alessia said, jerking her head to the unconscious man with the metal arm. "He hasn't woken up yet."

"Bucky?" The man Natasha stood behind asked.

"Tony, they said, they said that if you-" Pepper said thickly. Alessia turned to see tears running down her face.

"Don't worry, we're going to get you out." Tony said. Alessia's ears pricked back. The Tony Stark from the news always sounded cocky, arrogant and self absorbed. This Tony sounded concerned, warm, but also, Alessia thought, scared. _He loves her,_ She thought glancing back at his face on the screen. _He really,_ really _loves her_.

"Wait, wait no," Alessia said, coming to her senses. "What do they want you guys to do?" Not a single word from one of the people on the screen. Alessia felt her stomach drop. "What do they want you to do? Who- who are they?" Alessia glanced at Jane and Pepper. Both looked scared as well. _There is some kind of bargaining chip, and it's not pretty_. Alessia thought. She looked back at the screen. The somber faces looking back at her did not alleviate her nervousness.

"How long did they give you? To meet their demands?" Alessia asked, cogs working in her head.

"Six hours." Natasha said.

"And what happens after six hours?" Pepper asked.

"They said they would kill one of you every three hours starting then." Clint said. Tony hit him in the arm.

"Don't worry, it won't get to that!" Thor said, desperately trying to comfort Jane, who was blinking furiously to make up for the fact that she couldn't wipe her silent tears from her eyes.

"Pepper," Tony began, but at that moment the screen cut to black again.


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Alessia's mind was reeling. _Six hours,_ she thought. _If they don't do whatever horrible thing whoever this is wants them to do, we'll be dead in six hours._

Pepper seemed to be in shock, her face white and motionless. Jane was talking at about a thousand miles an hour, most of it didn't make any sense. Alessia could feel dread creeping up along her chest. _I can get us out of here._ She thought. _I'll get us home and everyone will be okay._

None of this felt real to her, though. _I should have known something like this was going to happen to me someday,_ she thought hopelessly. _I just got lucky and instead of getting kidnapped for being a freak, I'm kidnapped for working on a superhero's ranch. How was I supposed to know that would happen? None of this makes sense._ Her hands started to feel prickly. No, this can't be happening right now. Alessia thought desperately. She gasped for air, but her throat was squeezing too tight.

 _Calm down Alessia, it's all going to be okay,_ she told herself. She had only had a few panic attacks in her life, but she could tell this was one of them. However, no comforting words were going to help her. Nothing was going to be okay. How did she get herself into this mess? _I should have just burned the house down. The kids would have known to leave. Cooper or Lila would have gotten Nathaniel and everything would be fine now..._

Alessia told herself this, but she knew it wasn't true. There was no way the kids would have gotten out of their second story bedrooms if she'd lit the place up.

After a few minutes of this, Alessia began to calm herself down. She sat up, and glanced at Pepper and Jane. Jane had stopped talking, and was trying to work the knots out of her rope with her teeth, and Pepper stared at her lap, looking defeated and hopeless. _I'm going to get us out,_ Alessia thought, determined. I'm going to bring Pepper back to Tony. She recalled how worried Tony had looked on the monitor. _All_ of them actually had looked worried.

Alessia glanced back at the man buckled to the wall. To her surprise, he was awake and staring silently at her. _When did that happen?_ She wondered.

He had clear blue eyes and youthful, boyish features set on an angular face. Remembering what the blonde man had said, she spoke softly to the other prisoner:

"Bucky?"

The metal armed man blinked at her, then looked away. His face was set in deadpan, making Alessia rather uneasy.

"Uh, is your name Bucky?" She asked again. He remained silent.

"I'm Alessia," She tried again. "This is Pepper, and that's Jane."

He looked back at her, his expression still unreadable.

"How do you know my name?" He asked. His voice was level, but like everything else about him, it was intimidating. Now that he was awake Alessia was nervous. So he was friends with a superhero- that meant he was good, right? _God I hope so,_ Alessia thought desperately. She glanced back at the other two, and Pepper answered his question.

"We had a live feed from the Avenger's bunker a few minutes ago. Steve mentioned your name."

 _Steve?_ Alessia thought. _Of course Pepper's on first name basis with the Avengers. She LIVES WITH to one of them._

"Where are we?" Bucky asked. He was examining the brace his arm was secured to.

"We're not really sure." Alessia said. "Somebody's using us as a bribe to get the Avengers to do something..."

Bucky looked back at her. "'something'?" He asked.

"Yeah. Nobody's told us anything more," Alessia replied, bitterly.

"They said they were going to get us out." Jane said, joining the conversation, "Do you think that they'll meet their demands?" She asked, nervously.

"They're not going to have to," Alessia said firmly "We're going to escape here ourselves."

Bucky laughed bitterly from the wall. "Oh really, and how are you planning to do that?" He asked.

"How strong is your arm?" Alessia asked.

"Not strong enough to break out of these- at least not at this angle." He said.

"Thats not what I asked," Alessia said. "I think I can get you out of there, but I'm not sure about the door. Can you open it?"

Bucky looked at her very seriously for a moment, as if trying to decide if she was crazy- or maybe trying to decide if he could trust her. "Well, there's one way to find out." He replied. Alessia nodded. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, concentrating on the feelings that were swirling inside her- fear, mostly. A bit of confusion. A lot of worry. She channeled them to her core, and felt warmth immediately radiate throughout her body. She pushed harder, and concentrated it to her wrists. The smell of plastic melting hit her nose and she easily brought her arms apart.

Alessia quickly untied her ankle bindings and undid the knot around Jane's wrists, both women gaping at her. Jane at once set to work on Pepper's rope, and Alessia moved over to Bucky. There were three of the braces on his forearm, and two on his bicep. If she got the three from his forearm, it looked like he'd be able to straighten his arm and slip it out of the wider two. Alessia knelt next to him.

"I've never tried melting metal before, so I'm not sure if this wi-"

Alessia stopped up short with the look Bucky gave her. _His eyes are so intense,_ she thought. She felt herself start to sweat. _And he's handsome. How am I supposed to concentrate with him staring at me like that?_

Alessia closed her eyes again, breathing deeply, and this time concentrating on her left index finger. When she opened her eyes it was glowing an orange color, like an ember. _I hope it's hot enough._ She started at the brace at his wrist. Dragging her finger along the the side of it, she was relieved to see the metal start to glow along the seam. She gripped the brace hard with her right hand, and tried to jerk it off. It stayed in place.

After working the metal of the first brace a little longer, Alessia was able to break it off. She moved down to the next one, in the middle of his forearm. She managed this one faster, and when she got to the last one before his elbow, Bucky spoke.

"I can break this one faster," He said. Again, when Alessia looked in his eyes they were intense, almost like he was angry, maybe, but his face was unfathomable. Alessia took her hands away, and slide back to let him finish the job. She hadn't softened the metal at all, but he brought his powerful arm down at the elbow, snapping the brace and causing a loud crash when it hit the wall underneath. When he lifted his arm to slip it out, pieces of the cement where his fist had hit the wall fell to the floor.

He slipped his arm out, and stood up. Alessia still at the floor, found herself suddenly terrified looking up at him. He looked down at her, and offered her his right hand- the one made of flesh- and Alessia timidly accepted. Once on her feet, she turned to look at Jane and Pepper. Jane seemed to be holding it together a bit better, Pepper was wringing her hands and refusing to look in Bucky and Alessia's direction.

Bucky strode across the room, and with a loud metallic clang that echoed uncomfortably in the tiny cell, punched the door.

Alessia covered her ears as the metallic vibrations washed over her. Bucky had put a pretty huge dent in the door, but after two more powerful punches from his robotic arm, the door swung open.

"Someone's going to have heard that," Jane shouted, but Alessia's ears were ringing so loud she almost didn't hear her.

"Let's get going then," Alessia shouted back. Bucky was already venturing outside the cell. Alessia followed, Jane close behind her. Pepper closed the laptop on the floor, and picked it up before following the other three out.

Outside of the cell was a long hallway, also of that smoothed cement that lined the cell they were in. Bucky was already making his way down the right of the long hallway, turning a corner and vanishing out of sight.

"C'mon, we should try to keep up with him." Alessia said, jogging down the hall after Bucky. However, when she came to the split in the hall, she turned back. Jane and Pepper were still by the door. Alessia glanced down the hallway where Bucky had turned. Nowhere in sight, but it looked like there weren't any more forks for him to go down.

"C'mon you guys, there's going to be some kind of security soon and I'd personally rather be with metal and muscles over there when they find us." Alessia said. Jane at once started following her, dragging a hesitant Pepper along with her.

Alessia turned down the hall at once. She couldn't worry about all of them. Bucky seemed feral, best to keep her eyes on him. If Jane and Pepper knew what was good for them they'd follow.

As Alessia turned the next right down the eerie white passage, she was relieved to see Bucky disappearing around another turn.

"Wait up!" Alessia called out, dashing after. _Does he know where he's going?_ Alessia wondered desperately, hoping that following him wasn't going to turn out being a bad idea.

Alessia followed him blindly, hoping Jane and Pepper were behind her. At last, the hallway opened up to a large room with glass all along the rightmost wall. Bucky stopped short here. Alessia was finally able to catch up with him. Panting, she leaned against the wall of the hallway on Bucky's left and peered into the room. The window showed a view of pure snow and grey sky outside. They seemed to be a few stories up.

"What should-" Alessia started, in a whisper, but Bucky held up a hand, his metal one, to silence her. He was standing at attention, his feet apart so that he looked sturdy and unmovable in his canvas pants and combat boots. Alessia straightened up and, a step behind him and to his left, took a similar position. _Better follow his lead,_ Alessia thought, looking up at him _He actually seems to know what he's doing._

Behind them, Jane and Pepper finally caught up with them. They stood for a moment silently, watching Bucky stand tense at the entryway, before Pepper whispered.

"What are we doing?"

She and Jane looked expectantly at Alessia.

"Umm," Alessia murmured looking from them to Bucky then back.

"Let's go, stay close," Bucky said suddenly, before Alessia could figure out how to answer the question. He started a brisk stride through the much larger hall the corridor had opened up to, and Alessia wasted no time following him closely. They made their way to the other end of the large hall where another corridor split off into the mysterious building.

When they got to the corridor on the other side of the room, Bucky kept going on ahead to peer around the next corner. Alessia followed, a few strides behind, trying to stay close but not so close as to startle him. She looked around the corner after Bucky and was surprised doors all along both sides. She looked up at Bucky, hoping for some indication of what their next move should be, but his face was unreadable.

Alessia was about to ask him what they should do when she heard a shrill scream from behind her. She spun around to see what was wrong.

From the corridor on the other side of the arena, a dozen or so soldiers were advancing towards them. They were dressed like the others, and were carrying large guns.

Bucky was the quickest to react, rushing down the next hallway, Jane just a few paces behind him. Pepper seemed to shocked to make a move, so Alessia grabbed her wrist and dragged her along as she dashed after the other two.

They were rushing past doors now, and quite suddenly one of them burst open right in front of Alessia and Pepper. It was a man in a lab coat holding a gun. His hands trembled as he pointed it at Alessia, who had immediately put herself between him and Pepper. She paused only for a second, then realizing he wasn't going to shoot, disarmed him at once, grabbing the gun from his hands and with a fluid motion dropped him to his knees. She could hear footsteps from behind and see Jane and Bucky disappearing ahead, so, grabbing hold of Pepper's wrist again, she took off after the other two.

Bucky was running much faster than the rest of them, out shooting Jane by at least three strides, and turning corners so quickly Alessia was worried she and Pepper might lose sight of him, if it weren't that Jane were a few strides behind him. Finally, they turned another corner and Bucky disappeared into a door. Jane stopped outside, waiting for Alessia and Pepper to catch up. As they headed over, Pepper gently tugged her wrist away and Alessia realized she'd still been holding it painfully tight.

"Sorry, I didn't realize I was still..." Alessia murmured, her words drifting off as they peered into the room Bucky had stopped in with Jane.

It was empty- at least, nobody was in it. However a huge wall monitor showed a dull blue glowing screen. There were some desks with keyboards along the wall, and some rolling office chairs, but no other doors, no windows, nothing very hopeful. Bucky was at one of the desks messing with the keyboard. Unlike everything else he had done up until that point, nothing about his motions were deliberate, and Alessia had the feeling he had no idea what he was doing.

Alessia nudged Jane and Pepper in (they were all still loitering outside the door) making sure she was the last in, and taking a sweeping look at the landscape before shutting the door behind her.

"So... What's the plan?" Jane asked. She was peering over Bucky's shoulder, looking like she was thinking the same thing Alessia was: Bucky didn't know shit about computers.

Alessia, meanwhile stayed stationed at the door, gun in hand. She was afraid that if she moved away they would be taken too off guard if someone burst in. Besides, she doubted she'd be able to offer much in the effort to hack the computer.

Pepper inched up toward Bucky and glanced at what he was doing. She took a breath and said hesitantly: "do- you mind if I try?" Bucky glared back at her, but lifted his hands off the keys and stood up so abruptly that Jane jumped back to avoid being hit by him.

Setting down the laptop from the cell down on the desk, Pepper sat down in his place and at once started typing. Bucky moved toward the door where Alessia stood, and crossed his arms, his legs apart and standing up straight, standing like a guard. Alessia instinctively stood up a little straighter to mimic him. Jane was watching Pepper, occasionally glancing back at Alessia and Bucky. She looked nervous and didn't seem to know what to do with herself. After maybe about five minutes of Pepper avidly typing away, the screen changed from dull blue to white with a loading bar. Alessia and Jane exchanged nervous smile, but when Alessia looked at Bucky he was still standing like a sentinel, face unfathomable.

 _That's really going to get annoying_ Alessia thought, still looking at him. If he could see her in his periphery he didn't show it. He was just wearing his wife beater and army work pants and combat boots, his shaggy light brown hair hanging around his face. He was definitely the most innately intimidating person Alessia had ever met in her entire life.

The loading bar reached its full capacity and the screen changed again, now to a familiar desktop layout with folders and icons.

"what should I be looking for?" Pepper asked, highlighting different icons to read the description that came up.

"Who owns this place, for starters." Alessia replied. "Lets figure out where the hell we are."


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

They had been dodging around the bunker for what felt like hours. Alessia didn't know what was more amazing: that in all that time the security hadn't pinned them down, or that in all that time they hadn't managed to come any closer to finding an exit.

In defense of both parties involved, the four of them had mostly been slinking through utility closets and making their way around in the ventilation system, which didn't help them get any closer to finding a way out.

Bucky had managed to disarm two of the guards that came after them, and had given the bullet-proof vests to Pepper and Jane, and gave Alessia one of the guns, keeping the other for himself. He had exhausted the gun Alessia had gotten from the man in the white coat earlier.

They were walking down a hall in single file, Bucky in the lead and Alessia in the rear, when suddenly the entire hall went dark. For a split second Alessia thought that the power had gone out, but a moment later lights came back on in red, and a loud siren sounded. Bucky dove into the nearest doorway, and the women followed him, Alessia closing the door quickly behind her. They seemed to be in the kitchen now, but the blinking red lights and resounding alarm made everything disorienting.

"Whats going on?" Jane shouted over the alarm.

"My guess is that your friends are here," Bucky replied.

"What should we do?" Alessia asked.

"We should stay here-" Pepper replied "they'll be able to find us."

Alessia stuck the gun she held into the waistband of her pants, and started rooting through the cabinets.

"What are you doing?" Pepper asked.

"If I don't eat I'm really not going to be useful anymore," Alessia replied, pushing a bag of flour to the side and grabbing a mesh bag of oranges. "I can't use my powers if I don't eat. I don't run on nothing, you know."

"I am getting kind of hungry too," Jane said, starting her own search while Alessia ripped into the peel of the orange.

"How can you even think about eating right now? What if the alarm went off because they caught one of the Avengers? It could be Thor or Clint!" Pepper said, voice raised over the resounding alarm.

"Pepper, it's been hours since we woke up." Alessia said, fruit juice dripping out of her mouth as she dug into the orange. "Plus however long we were unconscious for. Have an orange, your blood sugar is probably dropping." Alessia tossed the fruit in Pepper's direction.

Bucky was still standing with his gun held at the ready, back to one door, eyes on the other.

"What about you, Buck, ya hungry?" Alessia asked, passing an orange to Jane. Bucky shook his head almost imperceptively.

Alessia was just peeling the last orange wedge out of the peel when suddenly the door on the other side of the room burst open. A swarm of men in black helmets ran in. Alessia dropped the last bit of orange and ducked behind the metal counter for cover, motioning Jane over as well. Trying to fish the gun out of her waistband as quickly as possible, Alessia peeked around the corner of the island. Bucky had already disarmed three of the guards without firing a single shot, and deflected two bullets with his right hand before shooting the gunman responsible in the shoulder. Alessia got her gun out and aimed at one of the four left standing, carefully pointing the barrel at the gunman's hand, she pulled the trigger, and his gun skittered across the floor. Pepper picked it up and pointed it at the guards, but didn't attempt to take a shot. Instead Bucky dropped one of them so quickly he couldn't think to shoot. Alessia took another shot at the guards hands before he could shoot Bucky or Pepper, and he fell to his knees clutching his hand in pain. The final guard standing was down with a shot Alessia didn't fire. Alessia realized with a jolt it had come from Pepper.

Bucky was gathering up the guns of some of the fallen guards and had un-clipped the vest from one. He made his way around the island and tossed it too Alessia.

"Put this on," He said, walking back to the door where they had entered. He held it open for Jane and Pepper to walk ahead of him, handing Jane a gun as she went by. As Alessia went to pass him he stopped her, dropping his metal arm across the doorway so she couldn't walk through.

"Next time you need to be more prepared. Don't hesitate." He said, voice serious, eyes piercing. Alessia stepped back instinctively. Suddenly, she felt tears welling up behind her eyes.

"I-I was trying my best..." She said helplessly.

"Do better." Bucky said coldly. He turned to follow Pepper and Jane, who were standing in the hallway looking back in curiously.

 _I'm not going to cry because this asshole said I'm not doing well enough with being kidnapped and held for ransom,_ Alessia thought, running after Bucky, Pepper and Jane. _If anything I'll cry because this is hopeless and we're going to die._

Alessia wasn't running as fast as the other three as they sped through the hallways. She was fighting back tears of anger, frustration, and fear. She kept her eyes on Jane's figure, since she was the closest to her, but even she was running faster than Alessia, who found herself slowing to lazy sprint. She stopped for a moment, bringing a hand up to wipe her moist eyes. _fuck all of this,_ She thought, _fuck all of it._

Suddenly, from nowhere it seemed to Alessia, grouping of five or so guards, guns lifted, ready to shoot, were upon her. Almost before Alessia could form thoughts of her next action, she found herself throwing her arms forward, a blast of fire erupting from her palms. A horrible smell of burning fabric and flesh reached her nose, and she lowered her hands, no longer aflame. She squeezed her eyes shut and didn't look to see if they were alive or dead as she ran. She didn't want to know. She ran with her eyes closed until she was afraid she wouldn't be able to find the others.

The lights were still flashing on and off in red, and a loud whining alarm was still ringing. It made Alessia feel strangely nauseous and dizzy, and unable to get her bearings. As they turned down another hall, three red figures blinked in and out of existence as Alessia sped after them, terrified that she would lose them- or worse, that she had scared Pepper and Jane so bad they _wanted_ to lose her.

The hallway let into a room again, this one smaller than the one with the window from before. This room did not have windows. There was another doorway at the other end of the room, and the four of them dashed towards it.

As soon as Alessia was in the room, she heard an earsplitting, wrenching crunch from just behind her. She whipped around in time to see a thick metal slab closing over the door from above. On the other side of the room, a slab was closing down on the door as well, but slower. Alessia sped up to catch it.

Bucky got there first, and grabbed the door with his metal arm, slowing it considerably. The metal groaned and whined in protest. Through gritted teeth Bucky hissed: "Go, what are you waiting for?"

Pepper, who had been standing apprehensively next to him, took a deep breath and dove underneath the metal door. Bucky fell to his knees, the door coming down a few feet with him, but his metal arm kept it raised enough for Jane to slip through.

Sweat was beading on Bucky's forehead as Alessia knelt down to go after the other two. She dropped down to her knees to slide under, but before she could do it, Bucky's arm gave out under the pressure, and the metal door slammed onto the concrete beneath it.


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

The lights in the room were still flashing red, and the alarm was still sounding, and Alessia fell onto her backside, eyes fixed on the door which she had not been fast enough to get through.

"Fuck!" Was all she could say. Bucky had his back leaned against the wall behind him, panting and wiping the sweat from his face. He almost looked vulnerable to Alessia, and for the first time since he had woken up she could tell how he felt by the look on his face. He looked exhausted and disheartened. This did not inspire much hope in Alessia.

"What are we going to do?" She asked.

"Hang on," Bucky said. He dropped his face into his hands. "Give me a minute." He said, without looking at her. "Try to warm up the door in the meantime, if you get it soft enough I might be able to break it down."

Alessia stood up and pressed her hands onto the metal. She closed her eyes, exhaled, and pushed everything she was feeling into her hands. It was like screaming into a pillow, or punching a wall- no it was like screaming at the top of your lungs to the sky or punching the person you hated most- it was a the most satisfying thing Alessia could do. She had felt almost every emotion she knew in just a few hours, and here they came, pouring out of her. Her fear, her confusion, anger, hurt, how irritated she was by the lights and the noise, how guilty she had felt after destroying that hallway full of men, how nervous she felt when Bucky watched her melting his bonds, everything, it came pouring out her hands and onto the metal door.

When she opened her eyes, Alessia was shocked to see that her hands were sunk a few inches into the metal, and that the area around her hands was glowing bright orange. She jumped back.

"It's never worked that fast before." She said, more to herself than Bucky, who had stood up to stand beside her.

"It looks really thick," Bucky said, examining the hand prints Alessia had left, which were each about two inches deep.

"Maybe you should create a fault line as you go, it'll be easier to break." Bucky said. Alessia nodded. She could see what he was saying, but she was worried about something else.

She turned to him, already feeling ashamed about what she had to say.

"So, real talk," She began, "My powers are emotion based, and I think I was only able to melt the metal so fast just now because I had so many emotions running through me. I don't think I can do it again- at least, not that quickly."

Bucky blinked at her. Somehow, now that it was just the two of them, he seemed a little less terrifying, but he still had a stoic, indifferent look on his face that made him impossible to talk to. "I don't understand," He said, "can you do it or can't you?"

"Well, you're not exactly being helpful, you know." Alessia said, turning to look away from him, and back at the door. She took a step forward to place her hands on the door next to the prints she had already left.

"Well, what would you have me do?" Bucky asked.

"Well, first of all," Alessia said, whipping around, "Can you just be real with me for a second? If you wanna be mean to me, or tell me I'm not.. tell me I'm not handling this better," Alessia said, voice catching a little "Then whatever, but if you're going to give me this nonsense, and act like you don't care about _anything-"_

"Woah, woah," Bucky cut her off "do you think I'm being _mean_ to you? We're _trapped_ in a shady testing facility, and you're the only other person here who can hold your own against them, I need to be able to rely on you, _especially_ now."

"Well I'm-" Alessia began, feeling angry and offended and insulted and hurt. She wanted to spout off at Bucky, tell him he was being an asshole. She wanted to say that she was just a kid, and she didn't know what she was supposed to do, but that wasn't really true anymore. She wasn't a kid, and Clint had taught her how to fight. So instead, she turned around and channeled it into her hands, placing them back on the door. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on it.

Alessia opened her eyes. The metal where she had been pressing her hands was glowing, but her hand prints were barely noticeable when she pulled her hands away.

"Oh fuck me," She murmured under her breath, closing her eyes and replacing her hands on the metal. _That time your mom said you were dressed like a slut. The time you fell down in a skate lesson and your teacher only yelled at you. When you found out Arthur liked Jesse and not you. Senior year, and all the dirty looks you got because everyone somehow knew it was your fault Dylan's car blew up._

Alessia could feel her hands sinking in again, and when she opened her eyes, the hand prints were almost as deep as the ones she had left before. She moved to a different spot on the door.

Alessia closed her eyes again. She was feeling really drained, and she was running out of things that made her emotional. _How your parents didn't look you in the face for a week after what happened with Dylan, how those damn judges at regional semi-finals put you in second place, that D you got in English lit. Every relationship you've had ever._

These last hand prints were just as deep as the first, but Alessia could feel herself wearing down. The one orange she'd eaten earlier was not going to keep her going for much longer.

"I don't know if I can do any more," She said, turning to Bucky, who had been watching her from behind. "See if you can get it down like it is, I might get another wind later." Alessia moved away from the door to let Bucky take a few shots at it while it was still glowing. She slid down the wall to sit on the floor, covering her ears so that a moment later, when he threw a shot at the metal, it wasn't so jarring.

Bucky punched the door a few times, and the metal was denting, especially on the side Alessia had managed to put hand prints in, but there was not enough damage to get them through. After about ten hits, Bucky joined her on the floor.

"What do you think is happening with Jane and Pepper?" Alessia asked, without looking at him. Bucky sighed."I'm going to assume that your friends got here and that they've found them." Bucky replied. "We can't waste energy worrying about them anyway. We need to think about getting out of here. There's no telling when these doors open, or who'll be there to meet us when they do."

"We are so screwed, aren't we?" Alessia asked. She looked over at the door. The dent didn't look that significant now, and the metal was beginning to cool down. "I don't know." Bucky replied. There was a hopelessness in his voice that made Alessia feel even more exhausted somehow. Her whole body ached with tiredness. She could tell that if she closed her eyes for just a second, she would fall asleep.

"I fucking give up." She said. she pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face in them, hugging them close to her. "I'm done, I don't wanna do this anymore. I'm sorry."

Alessia hugged herself, the red lights blinking on and off, the alarm wailing, and felt cold. _Fuck_ she thought. Alessia only ever felt cold when she didn't have the energy to keep herself warm, and Alessia only ever ran out of energy like that when she had been using her powers a lot. The only cure for it was sleeping and eating a bunch, and those weren't exactly options at the moment. She considered telling Bucky this, but even though he had relaxed just a little bit, she was still sort of afraid of him.

"Um-A-Alessia is it?" Alessia didn't move, because she was so dead tired, but she groaned in acknowledgment. It was the first time Bucky had called her- or anyone actually-by name so far.

"Alessia, please, we need to try to get out of here."

"I can't" Alessia said, moving her head to the side to look at him. She hadn't realized until then just how close he'd been sitting to her. Their legs were almost touching. "You don't understand how much it takes outta me," She went on, trying to ignore the butterflies batting around her stomach. "I can't just run on nothing. I can't exert myself like that and not eat. I might actually pass out. I've done all I can do. I'm having a hard time staying awake to tell you the truth." Bucky was looking at her sympathetically. "I'm sorry, Bucky, I'm really really sorry." She turned back into her arms "I'm just a fuck up, and I'm going to be the reason the two of us get killed." She could feel herself tearing up. _I'm not going to cry._ She told herself firmly _I'm not going to fucking cry about this._

"Alessia, c'mon," There was a tenderness in Bucky's voice that took Alessia off guard. "Please, I'm sorry, I didn't know using your powers took such a toll on you." Alessia felt something cold and smooth nudge her in the arm. "C'mon," Bucky said again.

Alessia glanced over, expecting to see Bucky's metal hand against her arm, but instead, illuminated in blinking red light was the round form of an apple.

Alessia sat up straight to look at Bucky. "I grabbed it when we were in the kitchen. I thought I might get a chance to eat it later, but I think you need it more than me." He said.

"Thank you," Alessia said, taking the fruit from him. She raised it up to take a bite before stopping. "You sure? You haven't had anything."

"I'm sure," Bucky said with a smirk. "If you can't melt that door I might not be eating again for a while."

Alessia nodded, and bit into the apple.

After a few more goes at it, Alessia had created a fault line of melted hand prints along the door. Bucky was able to punch into it until the door was bent, and there was a gap large enough for them to slide under. After making it out, they ran through the maze of hallways looking around every corner, Alessia hoping the Avengers in fact were here, and that any moment they'd run into a gold-and-red plated billionaire or a metal-and-leather bound god. Heck, she'd be happy to see the star-spangled ninety-something at this point.

However, they didn't see anybody. Alessia, still clutching a gun Bucky had given her, trotted after Bucky as they searched for- anything. An exit, an Avenger, even their lost companions. The alarm was still sounding when they found themselves back in the charred hallway where Alessia had burned those men earlier.

"Shit." Bucky said, stopping. "We're going in circles. How did that happen, we haven't taken any double turns, have we?"

Alessia turned to look at him. The tough exterior he had been sporting since he had awoken seemed to be worn thin. He looked tired. _He didn't get to eat anything._ Alessia thought, feeling guilty. Bucky rubbed his face with his right hand, the picture of exhaustion. "Lets think, we went left, then right, then right... we didn't take another right did we?"

"HEY!" It came from Alessia's left and she whipped around to face the speaker, gun raised, heart beating rapidly in her chest. A figure was advancing towards her and Bucky. In the red flashing light it took a her a second to process what she was seeing.

"Don't shoot, I'm here to help." The man said. Alessia struggled to make out his features. He was not dressed like any of the guards they had seen so far, so Alessia lowered the gun slightly without putting it away. She couldn't recognize him as one of the Avengers. His suit was a nondescript battle suit, it's only distinctive feature being goggles, which were currently pushed onto his forehead. He lifted a hand to his ear, and said. "I found 'em, you got our position, Cap?"

Alessia had not yet relaxed her finger, still nervously rubbing the trigger, she backed up and looked up at Bucky. His gun was loosely held at his side, which surprised Alessia. He seemed to trust this man. Alessia couldn't decide if that meant he was trustworthy, or if it meant that Bucky was so exhausted his judgment was lapsing. She quickly looked back to the man and kept her eyes trained on him, gun held ready.

"It's Alessia, right?" He asked, stepping forward. "I'm Sam, I'm friends with Steve and Clint. They're both really worried about you two."

"How do I know you're really friends with them?" Alessia asked.

"Clint, you busy man? Alessia wants to talk to you." The man said, presumably into the same earpiece as before. A moment passed and he removed a small blue tooth type device, and held it out to her. Alessia lowered the gun, but kept it in her hand, and didn't take her eyes off of the man as she accepted the earpiece and put it in place.

"..hello?" She said timidly.

"Alessia," Clint's voice said in her ear. "Are you okay?"

Relief washed over Alessia. Her finger relaxed on the gun and her entire posture seemed to sigh with relief. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine, I just.. I just wanted to know he was really with you."

"That's smart Alessia, I'm so proud of you, but you guys really need to get going now. Just do what Sam says, he knows what he's doing, Okay?"

"Okay." Alessia said. She took the earpiece out and handed it to Sam.

"We good?" He asked. Alessia nodded, and glanced at Bucky. He nodded his head once at her, then Sam.

"Yeah, near the north side I think," Sam responded to someone on his headset. "Do you need us to move?" His eyes glazed as he listened to the response. "Roger that," He said, and then to Alessia and Bucky: "Alright, follow me." Sam turned around to lead the way, and Alessia noticed a metal pack on his back. _A jet pack, maybe?_ She wondered.

Sam led them around some hallways they hadn't been through before. After around fifteen minutes of walking in solitude, another pack of guards came around the corner.

There were three of them, and before Alessia could react even enough to raise the gun she still held, Sam had kicked down one of them down, sending him toppling onto one of the guards behind him. Without stopping for a second, Sam punched the remaining guard down, in one hit, so that within seconds, all three of them lay unconscious or whimpering on the ground.

"C'mon," Sam said, his voice urgent, "We gotta move. There will be more of them soon."

At a faster pace they made their way around the next few turns, before turning at last to a large metal door. Sam threw it open, and a gust of cold air hit Alessia. They entered it, finding themselves in a stairwell. From the center of it, they could look straight up and see the staircase wrapping itself around the wall several stories up.

A rope dropped down, falling through this space between all the stairs. Alessia looked up, trying to make out what was at the top of the staircase. It was so high up it was dizzying, and the details were impossible to make out. Meanwhile, Sam had picked up the rope, which had a loop at the bottom, and a large knot a few feet up from there, and held it out towards Alessia.

"Ladies first," He said. Alessia reached out to take it, but hesitated.

"You sure you don't want to go before me?"She asked, turning to Bucky. He met her eyes and shook his head no. Alessia shrugged and stepped up to the rope.

She put her foot in the loop and gripped the rope so that her fists rested on the knot for support. Sam said "Okay, Alessia's ready to go up," And the rope jumped up into ascension.

Alessia felt butterflies fluttering around in her gut, as she rose steadily higher. Gripping the rope tightly, and feeling herself spin slightly she firmly told herself _not to look down._

 _This is the worst idea ever,_ Alessia thought. _If I got scared, I could lose control-what if I burned the rope? I would fall. I would DIE. Shit. Don't look down._

Alessia kept her eyes shut until a freezing gust of wind whipped around her and shocked her into opening them. She was being raised steadily out of the roof of the building, and into an aircraft hovering a few yards over it. She briefly saw how absolutely massive the building was, as well as a glimpse of the frozen tundra surrounding it.

She rose into the airship, slowly gaining a picture of the interior. It some sort of jet, rather small, but with a few seats lining the interior. It reminded Alessia of old war movies before the soldier parachuted out of a plane. There were only two people inside, and one of them was Clint.

Alessia stepped off of the rope, helped by Clint onto the floor of the jet. Releasing the rope, it was lowered back down to Bucky and Sam. Clint pulled Alessia into a warm, fatherly hug.

"Alessia, we were so worried about you," He said, drawing back to look at her. "We told your parents that you had laryngitis. I didn't think they needed to worry. I hope you don't mind."

Alessia blinked a few times before that set in. "Yeah... yeah, no of course, that was.. yeah. Thanks." She said. Clint smiled. Suddenly Alessia felt a wash of relief course through her almost violently. _Holy shit, we're okay! We made it out! I'm alive!_

Clint, who's hands had still been on Alessia's shoulders, dropped them and gestured to the other passenger of the aircraft. It wasn't hard for Alessia to guess who he was. The blue of his suit and the silver-white star on his chest spelled it out pretty well, so when Clint said, "Alessia this is Captain Rogers," Alessia didn't know whether to curtsy or salute him.

"Call me Steve," Said Captain Rogers, holding out a hand.

Alessia knew Captain America was the super-soldier they managed to un-freeze in time to take on the chitauri in New York. Alessia was not aware before this point that he was so handsome.

"Hhhhi" Alessia said, limply taking the hand he had offered and making a pathetic attempt to reciprocate the handshake.

Steve smiled politely and Alessia pulled her hand back. _God I'm such a spaz._ Alessia thought. She was saved from the awkwardness, however, when the rope returned up into the aircraft, this time bringing with it Bucky.

Steve's face lit up at the site of him.

"Hey," Steve said.


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter six is finally up! I know this one took me a while. Holidays were a bit crazy, and I needed a bit of time to get this one sorted out the way I wanted it. Anyways, I figured it was about time, since I haven't updated since LAST YEAR. haha. thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter Six

"Hey," Bucky said. He stepped off the rope with a little help from Steve before it dropped back down to pick up Sam.

Steve and Bucky were standing in silence, Steve with one hand on the other man's shoulder, looking at him looking at him with a strange expression of combined sadness and happiness. After a moment, Steve pulled Bucky into a hug.

"I missed you pal," He said. Bucky, after a moment's hesitation, embraced the other man.

Alessia looked away, not entirely sure what she was watching. _Are they friends or...?_ Sam, meanwhile was at last being lifted into the jet. Clint helped him onto the floor safely before hitting a button that closed the trapdoor.

Where to, Cap?" Clint asked, making his way over to the cockpit.

Steve had pulled away from Bucky, leaving a hand on his shoulder, and said. "The safest place you know."

"The safest place I know," Clint began, "Isn't the safest place I know anymore."

"I have an idea," Sam said. Steve nodded, and Sam joined Clint in the cockpit.

"Why do we need to go somewhere safe?" Alessia asked, confused. Steve turned to her. "I thought.. I thought we _were_ safe now."

"It's me." Bucky said. His voice was husky, and he was looking down. He'd brushed Steve's hand away. "It's because of me, isn't it?" He asked, looking at his friend. Steve sighed and nodded.

"What?" Alessia asked, more lost than ever. "I don't understand."

"Bucky.. is wanted. By the American government." Steve said. Alessia felt her stomach drop.

She looked from Steve, whose expression was completely serious, to Bucky, who stared at the ground, face blank. The jet jolted into motion and Alessia staggered back, still trying to make Steve's words make some kind of sense.

"For-for _what?_ " She asked, wondering why on earth someone like Bucky, who was seemingly good friends with _Captain America_ , could have done to be wanted by an entire government.

"Believe me, you don't wanna know." Bucky answered. He turned and sat on one of the seats lining the walls of the jet. Alessia glanced at Steve, who met her eyes for a second before looking away. _He looks like a sad puppy_ Alessia thought, watching as the Captain moved to sit next to his friend. _They look like a couple of puppies who got locked out in the rain._ It would have been adorable if Alessia didn't have bigger things to worry about. She walked over to the control panel where Sam and Clint were conversing about air flow and ascension rates and things Alessia didn't understand.

As she approached, Sam stopped to smile at her and Clint glanced up and nodded in acknowledgement. _They're acting so cool about this,_ Alessia thought. _Are we going on the lam from the law? Because if we are they should DEFINITELY not be acting so cool about this!_

"Sooo," Alessia started "I'm trying to figure out what's going on here. Where are Pepper and Jane? And where are we going?"

"Pepper and Jane are probably almost in New York by now." Clint answered, eyes still peering out of the windshield at the vast white wasteland they were soaring over. "The rest of the team found them sooner, and Tony was particularly insistent he get them somewhere safer soon." Something about the way he said it made Alessia feel like she was being given a half truth. She looked up at Sam, whose face seemed to confirm this theory, but she didn't press for more. Instead she asked: "So where are we going then?"

"We're landing the jet in a boys summer camp- They'll be closed for the season, so no one should be there." Sam answered. "And from there-"

"From there its a twenty minute drive to the nearest greyhound station," Clint broke him off. Sam looked over, startled. "Really?" He asked.

"Really." Clint said, pulling up a map on one of the screens on the pilot's control panel. "And you're going to take the bus home, Alessia." He said.

"You're sending me off on a _greyhound?!_ " Alessia asked, indignant. " _Really?_ I don't believe this."

"Alessia, you don't realize the seriousness of the situation." Clint turned the pilot chair to look at her. "You're not ready for what we're up against, and I'm not going to drag you into it."

Alessia crossed her arms, teeth clenched, and looked at Sam. His face was serious, and when she looked over at Steve and Bucky, they still had the sad look of lost lonely puppies huddling together in a storm. She glared at Clint, but didn't argue. Instead she turned and sat opposite Steve and Bucky and stared decidedly at her knees.

Clint landed the jet about three hours later. Three hours which passed in complete silence, and during which Alessia ran over scenarios in her mind. Yet the more she thought about everything, the less sense it made. She was only sure of a few things. She listed them off to herself as she sat in the uncomfortable seat, trying to put together a coherent picture of what they all meant. _Bucky is wanted by the government, which means someone thinks he's a threat to national security, which means he had to have done something really REALLY bad. The Avengers were here, at least Tony Stark was, and with a separate jet, but they left before they knew what happened to us. That means Clint, Steve, and Sam brought a second jet knowing they were going to have to use it. Tony Stark also has the laptop Pepper grabbed and all the info she was able to get off the other computer. And I'm expected to hop on a greyhound and head back home like none of this happened?_

It was late at night when they finally got to the boys camp. Clint lowered the jet onto a large expanse of grass facing some of the small, wooden cabins. Alessia had never been to a summer camp, and so her first thought was of horror movies. Arriving at night, and disembarking only to see a massive lake, glimmering black under the starry sky, only enhanced this feeling.

Alessia stepped onto the dewy grass outside, still in her bare feet. "C'mon, I think I remember where they keep the food." Sam was saying, leading the way. "Then we should try and get a little sleep before planning our next move."

Alessia followed him, Steve and Bucky just behind him, toward one of the larger cabins. Clint stayed in stride with Alessia.

"You can sleep for a bit," He said "But you're heading to that greyhound station first thing in the morning."

"Are you going to tell me what's really going on?" Alessia asked him, lowering her voice so that the others couldn't here. "Why is Bucky wanted by the government? Why did you ditch the other Avengers? Why is Camp Crystal Lake the safest place we could find?"

"Alessia," Clint said, rubbing his eyes in exasperation "This isn't your battle." Sam had lead them too one of the buildings and was picking the lock on the door. "And why exactly not?" Alessia hissed at him, trying to keep her voice down so that the other three wouldn't hear her. "I got kidnapped by the same people, and I can help. You don't have to treat me like a kid, anyways, you can at least tell me whats actually going on."

"What do you know about the people who kidnapped you?" Steve said, suddenly turning around. _Oh shit, he could hear us, couldn't he,_ Alessia realized with a jolt. _I'm just forever awkward, aren't I?_

"ahh, Pepper hacked the system while we were there." Alessia said, recounting what she could remember. "Apex gold unlimited. They do weather analysis. And also kidnap people I guess. We couldn't figure out what they were really up to based on what Pepper got out of the computer."

"It's a front," Steve said, "For something worse."

"No shit, Captain Obvious." Alessia quipped. "What were they going to make you guys do anyways?"

Sam unlocked the door. It swung backwards into the dark rooms beyond.

Sam entered the cabin, followed by Steve and Bucky. Alessia waited until a light flicked on to go after him. Clint hung back with her, keeping his eyes on the landscape around them. It was unnerving, the way he was watching the shadows. It meant he was paranoid, and that made Alessia feel nervous.

The room they entered was a kitchen, all wooden and cabin-like, just large scale, like a school cafeteria. Sam started going through the cabinets and Clint closed the door behind him. Steve leaned against the counter and gave Clint a questioning look. Clint nodded.

"Apex gold unlimited wanted Stark Industries to destroy all of their weapons, leaving us defenseless against attack."

Sam had found canned beans and was starting to heat them up. Alessia took a quick glance at the the four men around her. Sam's back was too her, but Steve and Clint looked serious, and Bucky had reverted to the dead pan he had been sporting earlier.

"So, how did you three get away with coming in a separate jet?" Alessia asked. Steve raised his eyebrows. "'Get away with'?" he asked.

"You're telling me nobody thought you were taking it just so you could whisk this one off and away from the fuzz?" Alessia asked gesturing at Bucky, who was leaned against the wall across from Steve, hair hanging in his face and starring blankly into space still.

"Pretty sharp," Sam commented with a chuckle from the stove. He turned around to answer her question "We did have to get kind of crafty with it. Although you have to remember that other jet was Stark's and all he wanted to do was get on it and leave. I don't think he would have cared what we were going to do as long as he was able to get Pepper before she got hurt."

"Aww." Alessia said, reflexively bringing her hands to her heart. Steve raised an eyebrow at her, Clint rolled his eyes, and even Bucky looked up to scoff at her. "What? That's sweet." Alessia said defensively, making her hands into fists and replacing them at her sides. Sam chuckled a little while he went back to cooking.

"So what are we going to do?" Bucky asked.

"We're working on that," Steve said. His sounded pained. "Unfortunately there aren't a lot of options left to us. I've been looking into the legality of it, but there is no precedent for someone who- someone like you." Steve said, his voice hesitant. Again, Alessia wondered what Bucky could have done to be wanted by the government.

An uncomfortable silence filled the room which was broken when Sam turned off the stove with a click and said: "Alright, soup's on!"

Sam opened a cabinet and revealed a massive stack of tin plates and cups upon cups of silverware. He pulled down a stack of plates and one of the cups full of spoons and started serving up ladles full of pork and beans. Alessia would normally have wrinkled her nose at something like that, but seeing as she'd only eaten fruit so far that day, and how much she'd exerted herself, she was glad to take what she could get.

Alessia had sat down at the table to eat, as had Steve, Bucky, and Sam. Clint however, stayed in guard mode by the door. Alessia knew that it should have made her feel safer knowing that Clint was being wary, but it did the opposite. _Is this place not really safe?_ She wondered. _Does Clint think there's a chance someone could find us here? Someone looking for Bucky?_

Alessia was nearly finished with her plate of canned pork and beans, and was beginning to taste how gross they really were. _Probably because they're not as warm,_ She thought, and considered warming them back up herself. It would be very easy to heat the plate up with her hand. But probably not appropriate table manners considering the circumstances. Instead she forced them down as they were, trying not to think about what they were made of.

Unfortunately, instead she found her mind trailing off in darker directions. Those men in the hallway... She'd only been trying to protect herself, but still she'd managed to do more damage than she meant to. It was possible some of them died. It was possible all of them died. _If I'd just kept up with the group, Bucky would have taken care of them in like, two seconds._ She thought, raising her eyes as discretely as possible to look at Bucky across the table from her. _Nobody would have died. It was weird though,_ she thought, still looking at him. _He's not just some guy. Why didn't I wonder about that before? He seems like he'd be deadly... if he wanted to be. But.. he doesn't seem proud of whatever happened to put him on a wanted list. Maybe it was an accident._

Alessia was pulled abruptly out of her thoughts when Bucky glanced up to find her starting at him. She quickly looked away and tried to look busy scraping up the last few beans on her plate.

Steve had already finished, and had started cleaning up. Only once Sam had also stood up to help did Clint finally serve himself some food and sit down. Alessia hovered behind Steve at the sink, waiting for a moment to squeeze in and wash her plate. Instead, Steve took it from her and washed it for her. Alessia turned around to try and see if there was something else she could do so that she wasn't being completely useless, but Sam had already wiped the counters down and moved the cans to a recycling bin.

"Alessia," Sam said, apparently noticing her discomfort standing idle, "Try and see if you can find a key ring so we don't have to pick the locks to the cabins."

Alessia at once set herself off, opening every drawer (most of them were full of whisks, serving spoons, oven mitts, and so on,) checking every cabinet (mixing bowls, cookie sheets, one had a tool box) and finally the closet. Mostly cleaning supplies, some things like a bag of charcoal and box of extendable forks for roasting things on a fire. She opened a huge box, which was full of fishing lures, and after taking out the top tray, found a lanyard with three keys and a whistle on it.

Alessia handed it to Sam. Steve had made quick work of the dishes, and the kitchen stood clean. Clint had finished and was washing his plate. Bucky was still sitting at the table, it seemed he hadn't moved since he sat down. Alessia glanced at Steve and saw that he too had been watching Bucky with a concerned probing stare. Whatever their relationship was, It seemed to Alessia that they had been very close, but she was still trying to figure if they had only been friends. _I mean, it isn't my business.._ Alessia thought. _Still, they don't SEEM like a couple. Were they really just very close friends?_ She wondered, trying to brush it off as inconsequential. It wasn't like she had never seen a gay person before. Why should she care if Bucky was like that? _I don't care._ Alessia told herself firmly. _It isn't my business._

Clint finished washing his plate, and the five of them left, led by Sam to another cabin. This one was a proper sleeping cabin, with two bunk beds. After some debate, Steve decided to take the first watch, leaving the other four with the bunk beds in the cabin. Clint at once took the top leftmost bunk, murmuring something about how he slept better at heights anyways. Sam offered Alessia and Bucky the other top bunk, but both declined, So he climbed into it instead.

This left Alessia and Bucky with bottom bunks. Bucky kicked off his shoes and settled into the rightmost one, beneath Sam. Alessia, who was still barefoot, and in her over-sized crappy sweater and jeans, took the bunk underneath Clint. Dew had left the bottoms of her jeans wet, and she wished she had something clean to change into. _If Clint thinks I'm stepping foot on a greyhound with no shoes..._ Alessia thought, burrowing into the rough blankets.

Across the room she could see Bucky settling into his bed. Alessia peeked through her blankets covertly and watched him for a few minutes, thinking about everything, trying to make sense of it. Under normal circumstances, the events of the past few hours would be enough to keep Alessia up all night, but she so exhausted, she only managed to fight off sleep for a few minutes before she fell into a deep slumber.

Alessia woke up with a jolt. She sat up quickly, forgetting where she was for a minute. Bucky was still asleep in the bunk across from her, but Steve was in the one on top now. The blankets were scratchy, and she was covered in sweat. She threw the blankets off of herself and slid out of the bed, heading for the door. It was open a crack, and when she pushed it open more, Sam appeared, standing to face her.

"Alessia, what are you doing up?" Sam asked. He seemed on edge.

Alessia yawned. "What time is it?" She asked, stepping out of the cabin and joining Sam on the grass outside. "Three-thirty," Sam replied, checking his watch.

"Where are the bathrooms?" Alessia asked. Sam took the lanyard off from around his neck and pointed to another cabin about twenty yards away. "Watch yourself alright? I'm gonna stay here." He said. Alessia raised an eyebrow and took the lanyard from him. "What am I watching out for? Jason Voorhees? I think I'll be fine to go the bathroom."

Sam clicked his tongue but didn't say anything. Alessia started off towards the cabin he had pointed to. It was further away than it looked, and Alessia was really getting sick of the dewy grass. It was making her ankles itchy. When she finally got there and forced the skeleton key in the lock, she pushed the door open to reveal a grimy bathroom. The kind you see at campgrounds where everything is perpetually damp and smells like mud, horrible air fresheners, urinal cakes, and an outhouse. The kind you're not supposed to go barefoot in, even when taking a shower.

"Lovely," Alessia murmured, reaching for the light switch. Her fingers found one, and switched it on. A single bulb flickered for a moment, accompanied by a whining sound. After a few feeble attempts at lighting, it fizzled to a dull yellow glow, that didn't do much to illuminate the room. The buzzing, whining noise persisted, but Alessia decided she liked it better than the perfect eerie silence of the bathroom anyway. Alessia let the door swing shut behind her and held a hand out in front of her. She lit it, maintaining a slow, steady flame with one hand and opening the doors of the stalls with the other. While it seemed most of them had been cleaned fairly well before the camp cleared out the last time, only one of the stalls was actually stocked with any toilet paper.

The soap, mercifully, was full. Alessia gave herself a generous pump and scrubbed her hands. Then another for good measure. Then she splashed the water on her face, her hair, and behind her neck. Some of it got on her shirt. Alessia stared straight in front of her into the darkness that was the mirror, and watched as slowly, subtly, smoothly, she could see her form illuminated with an orange-red light. She felt the water evaporating off of her skin, and seconds later, the orange figure in the mirror lost focus as the steam leaving her body fogged up the glass.

Alessia sighed heavily. She didn't want to go back to sleep. She didn't want to get sent off on a bus in the morning. She didn't really know _what_ she wanted, but she was sure she didn't want to keep going like it was just another day. She didn't want to go to work and teach four to six year-olds how to ice skate. She didn't want to tell her parents that she'd gotten sick or whatever Clint's story had been. She didn't want to watch while her roommates brought guys home and teased her about _when she was going to live a little,_ or _was she too embarrassed of her friends to let them meet her guy?_

She wasn't. She was just a loser. She was just some loser who works part time at a ranch, part time at an ice rink. She was just some loser who drives a beat-up '98 Toyota Camry that's barely running, and wears mostly clothes from goodwill or from high school. And now she was just some loser who got kidnapped by accident, a loser so good-for-nothing that she's getting kicked out for incompetence.

 _I'm fucking fireproof and I'm still too much of a liability. What does THAT say about me?_ Alessia could still faintly see herself glowing orange in the mirror. Sometimes, when she got angry, she would get really hot. But she wasn't angry. The orange in the mirror was fading. She felt depressed, and even though she wasn't tired or hungry, or worn out in any real way, she felt a cold chill. Like icy hands were clutching her heart. _I'm worthless._ She thought miserably.

Alessia sighed and trudged back across the room to the door. She opened it up, ready to make the journey back to the cabin, and was shocked to see bright artificial light flooding the scene.

The helicopter from which it originated was so quiet, Alessia hadn't even heard it over the buzzing noise from the bathroom light. She squinted her eyes against the light to see what was going on by the cabin. Some dark shapes were thrashing in the distance. Alessia realized with a sickening drop of her stomach that it could only mean they had been found. It must be the FBI or the CIA or some other agency that worked for the government. Alessia shut the door at once, backing away quickly, slipping on the damp tile floor and landing on her backside. _We're done, we're dead, we're so, so dead._ She thought, heart beating rapidly. She was too scared to think, to move, to do anything, so she sat there, blood pounding in her ears on the floor of the bathroom. _We are so, SO dead._


	8. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Alessia's heart was beating painfully fast. She pulled herself up from the floor and dashed back to the bathroom door, fumbling with the lanyard full of keys. With trembling hands she locked the door from the inside. She turned around, leaning on the door, facing the bathroom again.

 _If Bucky is wanted, than hiding him here is definitely some kind of crime._ Alessia thought, trying to work out exactly how much trouble she was in. _But I wasn't part of that plan, and the other Avengers can attest to that, I just got kidnapped and rescued at the same time, so I'M not really in trouble._ Alessia thought, even though it really didn't feel true. The noises outside the bathroom were muted by the thick tiled walls so that Alessia felt like she was in her own secret bubble. _It still means Sam, Steve, and Clint are in it big time,_ Alessia thought.

There was a loud bang relatively close to the bathroom, and it jolted Alessia away from the door. It could have been a gunshot, but Alessia was too scared to be certain of anything. She didn't dare check the door again, and instead made her way to the other end of the bathroom.

Alessia lit her hands to light the space better. A small window, really only there to let fresh air in, was on the opposite wall from the door. It was high up, the way they put them in bathrooms so nobody can see in but light and air can still come through, and it was almost above the highest reach of Alessia's outstretched hands. She turned around, eyes moving desperately for anything she could use as a step-stool. The nearest sink was about three feet away, but at least she might be able to open the window with the boost. She stepped up onto the slick porcelain and carefully reached out to the wall, catching herself with an unlit hand, and raising the other to check the latch on the window. After a moment of fiddling with it, unlighting her hand to fumble with the latch, relighting it to see her progress, she got it open, and pushed the window forward.

A cool, fresh breeze hit Alessia and she pushed the window back a bit more. There was another crashing boom, closer to the bathrooms than before, and Alessia made a split second decision to vault herself headfirst out the window. She threw herself forward and ended up with the top half of her body outside, while her legs stayed in.

From this awkward position she had to shimmy herself out the rest of the way, and fall so that she didn't hurt herself. She tumbled onto the grass outside gracelessly, but stood up unharmed. Not a second later, she heard the door of the bathroom thrown open forcefully, wood splitting. Alessia didn't bother sticking around to figure out who it was. She ran in crouch, sticking to the shadows, heading for a different cabin, half hidden in a cluster of trees.

She fit the skeleton key into the lock, and slipped inside, locking the door behind her rapidly. She felt like she was watching herself do everything sped up. It didn't even feel like it was her doing it, it felt more like a video game or a movie she was watching. She didn't dare try for a light switch in this cabin, since that would only draw attention to herself. Instead she lit her hand again, finding that she was a storage shed. There were a couple of canoes, some fishing rods, and some bows and arrows. Alessia grabbed an arrow immediately, testing the point to see how sharp it was. Unfortunately, it was a safety arrow. She couldn't even pierce her skin if she tried. She started rooting around through the rest of the equipment, trying to find something she could attach to the end to make it slightly more threatening.

About ten minutes later, after listening to increasing hysteria, Alessia had outfitted only a dozen of the arrows with makeshift tips. She was on the floor, working on chewing gum and tying a straightened fishing hook onto the head of an arrow, when she heard voices close by. She stopped dead, and darted to behind the door, straining her ears to make out words.

"We're close to done here," A man was saying. "We just need to sedate the enhanced one and Captain Rogers, and we can go home."

"Man, am I ready to call it a night," Another agreed. "You wanna check this one?"

Alessia tensed up, readying herself as the door opened. The man who walked in was much taller and bigger than Alessia, but she had the element of surprise. She grabbed the door and slammed it into him while he was still halfway inside. He tried to tase her, but she grabbed his wrist before he was able to make contact with her, twisting his arm around to use the taser on him. His friend came at her from the side, also wielding a taser, and Alessia shoved the first man into his friend so that the taser hit him instead. As he slumped into his friend, she grabbed the first man's taser and tried to use it on the second one. He ducked out of the way and tried to kick Alessia off balance, but she moved out of the way too quickly, throwing a punch which he blocked. He stepped back, reaching for something new in his belt. Before Alessia could stop him he had pressed a button on his waist and was saying "We have the location of the enhanced, she's on the-" Alessia flung herself forward, kicking hard at the radio at his side, sending the man onto the ground pinned under her body. She brought the taser to his shoulder and struck him unconscious. She stood quickly, moving back into the shed to gather her modified bows and take another dash into the darkness.

Alessia ran into the woods this time, finding herself comforted by the cover it offered. She held one of the arrows outfitted with a fishing lure in the bow, slack but prepared to be shot at the first sign of danger. She picked her way through the woods, trying to ignore the fact that her feet were getting cut up by brambles and rocks. She carefully approached the end of the wooded area where she could see the cabin they had been sleeping in. She peered around a tree, fingers on the bowstring, and tried to make out what was going on.

Sam, Clint, and Bucky were engaged in the most aggressive fight Alessia had ever seen outside of a movie. About eight black outfitted men had gathered around them. Four more lay on the grass motionless. Alessia searched the scene for any sign of Steve, and found none.

Bucky was dropping men at an alarming rate, and Sam and Clint were more than holding their own against the opponents, and Alessia knew that jumping in would probably only hinder their abilities. Instead, She hitched her foot onto the lowest branch of the tree she currently hid behind, glad for once that she was barefoot. She scaled the tree until she was about twenty feet high, and surveyed the area. another group of men were fast approaching Sam Clint and Bucky, and Alessia had the feeling that another twenty men might be enough to take them down. She searched her quiver and carefully drew one of her makeshift arrows out, and aimed it carefully at a bale of hay about fifty yards away. She let the arrow fly. There was no immediate change in it, so she reloaded and shot another arrow at it.

"Please, please.." Alessia whispered, crossing her fingers. Fifty yards away, a glimmer of orange twinkled. Alessia's breath caught in her throat. The bale was catching. The flames grew. More than half of the backup on course for Sam, Clint, and Bucky switched to head over to the fire. From another direction, a jeep was speeding directly to the lighted clearing below. Alessia pulled another arrow out to aim, but as the car came closer into view she could see the distinct blonde swoop of the driver.

Meanwhile, Sam had disarmed the last of the men they had been fighting, and Steve had pulled up to let the others in the car. What they couldn't see was the last eight or so men who had not been diverted by the fire. They were huddled behind the corner of the cabin, but Alessia could see them from the tree.

Sam, Clint, and Bucky were still standing around. She could just barely hear them talking. She could have sworn she heard her name. _They still haven't realized those guys are there._ Alessia thought, thinking desperately for her next move. She had almost unconsciously drawn another arrow and was aiming at the most visible of the black clothed men, but it only had a fishing lure on it, and their uniforms were bullet proof. Again she heard a fragment of conversation from below, it sounded like Bucky's voice: "..Find her before we go…"

"Idiots," She whispered, releasing the arrow.

It made its mark, hitting the man on the arm. He let out a cry of surprise, and Bucky, Steve, Sam, and Clint sprung into action. Although it was eight against four, by the time Alessia had climbed down not a single of the black clad men was still standing. She dashed into the clearing as Clint dropped the last of them down.

"There are still more of them," Alessia said, running into the clearing, four heads turning to see her. "We should go before they figure out-"

"Let's move," Steve nodded, and was in the jeep again before Alessia even realized she'd been cut off. The rest of them hurried into the car after Steve, Clint smiling a little when he saw Alessia was carrying a bow and arrow.

Steve had the car moving before everyone was even sitting in it, and as soon as they were all well contained he said "Hold on," and thrust the gear shift, making the car whine, and speeding them along the grass into the darkness.

"Where am I heading?" Steve asked.

"You're almost at the main road I think," Sam replied, Leaning around Alessia in the backseat to see out the front. "Left up here," he said. Steve obliged. They passed a parked helicopter, although it seemed empty. After that a dirt road appeared in the headlights, and Steve took it. They passed underneath a big wooden sign that said "Camp Wakanapoke" and continued on down a dirt road. After a few minutes they came to a fork in the road, and the road became paved.

"Which way am I turning?" Steve asked.

"Depends, wanna go to a small town eight miles from here, or a bigger city twenty miles away?"

"Small town," Clint piped up from the back. "Thats where the Greyhound is."

"I do _not_ wanna go on a greyhound." Alessia pouted "Greyhounds are _creepy."_

"Which way is the town?" Steve asked, while Alessia moaned in the back. "Left," Sam replied. Steve twisted the car left and drove on.

"You know they know what I can do, right?" Alessia asked. "Two of them almost caught me and they radioed in saying I was _enhanced_ , and then when I lit that bale of hay on fire most of them went over to it."

"Yeah, I saw that." Clint said. "How did you get back over to where we were so fast anyways?"

"I didn't light it myself. C'mon give me a little bit more credit than that," Alessia replied, pulling one of the last arrows out of the quiver and handing it to Clint.

"Are these.. strike anywhere matches?"Clint asked, observing the tip.

"And gum, so maybe don't touch it," She answered. Clint's outstretched hand, inches away from the tip, recoiled. "I think Pepper or Jane must have said something," Alessia continued sadly.

"She might have a point Clint," Steve said from the front seat. "I don't really know if we should leave her on her own if they're looking for her too."

"Did you ever actually use your powers?" Clint asked.

"No, but they called me enhanced, what else could that mean?"

"Are you sure they weren't talking about Bucky?" Clint persisted.

"Yes, I'm sure!" Alessia said, exasperated. "They found me and tried to call their buddies and said 'we have a location on the enhanced one'"

"Fine," Clint said. "What's our next move then?"

A silence filled the car and Alessia glanced uncomfortably in the darkness at the others. She was sandwiched between Clint and Sam in the backseat, which gave her the benefit of being able to see everyone without having to lean forward much. She could even see Steve and Bucky in profile in the front.

"We need to get evidence to clear Bucky's name" Steve said finally. "They're not going to stop looking for us until we can convince them he's not a threat."

"Good luck," Bucky said. "That's hopeless" Bucky had slid down in his seat, and Alessia couldn't see his face through his hair.

"We need to figure out how they found us, first of all." Clint said from Alessia's left. "They were on us way too quickly to be coincidence. At least one of us has a tracer."

"You think? Who would be tracing us? Not Fury…" Steve wondered aloud.

"I mean… didn't you take one of Tony Stark's jets? Like, surely whatever GPS he has in those lets him see where they are, right?" Alessia offered from the backseat.

"Tony wouldn't do that, he wouldn't help someone catch us." Steve said at once. Alessia felt Sam and Clint exchange a glance across her. "Are you sure about that, Steve?" Sam asked. "He didn't really seem to think Bucky was worth saving when we were leaving."

"It's not a bad theory-" Clint interrupted, "But I was sure I disabled the tracking in the ship. I mean, I'm worried one of us might be wearing one."

"So who do you think put it there?" Steve demanded again. "Fury doesn't keep tabs on us anymore-"

"I think Alessia's right." Clint said. "I think we need to consider the possibility that Tony put tracers on us."

"So what do we do?" Steve asked again, his voice hard.

" _Well,"_ Sam Began "Tony has had plenty of opportunities to put tracers on you two. I mean, he could have easily have slipped one in subdermally on Clint that one time."

"Oh god, you're right," Clint interjected, looking warily down at his lower rib cage.

"But Stark hasn't messed with _any_ of my gear," Sam went on, "You know I don't like anyone else working on my wings, and I've only met him once, and only for a few seconds. I'm probably clean."

"And so are Alessia and Bucky," Steve finished, completing Sam's thought. "You think we should split up."

"I'm just looking at our options, man." Sam said. "The way I see it, you go one way, Clint goes another, and Bucky and Alessia come with me somewhere while we figure out what our next move is. Even if they do have a tracer on me, They'll probably assume Bucky's with you and Alessia's with Clint. I mean, it's not a perfect plan-"

"But it's the only one we've got." Steve finished again. "Fine. What do you guys think?"

"I think it's the only way to be safe." Clint said. "Even if they caught you or me, they'd bring us in for questioning before anything else happened. We know they're not going to give Bucky the same favor-" Bucky slid down in his seat a little bit more "-and I'm worried that Alessia's not going to get much better treatment. I mean, the way they've been asking about Wanda does not have me convinced the government is going easy on enhanced humans, even if they haven't… um… been the Winter Soldier."

"What do you want to do?" Steve asked Bucky gently.

"It doesn't matter." Bucky murmured. "Clint is right. They have it out for me, this is a hopeless cause."

"Well, I'm sure my opinion doesn't count." Alessia chimed in "But _I_ would like to _not_ get kidnapped again. Soo.. I'm down." She said, turning to give Sam a nod.

"Bucky, go with them." Steve urged. "We're going to figure this out, I promise. Just do this for me."

Alessia watched from the center back seat as Bucky glanced up to meet Steve's gaze. Again, she felt unsure about whether she should be allowed to watch this. The way they were looking at each other… _There's no way they're not a couple,_ Alessia thought, a twinge of disappointment touching her heart.

"Fine," Bucky sighed. "I'll go with them."


	9. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

They arrived in a small town about forty minutes later. After a few directions from Sam, Steve pulled the car up on the street corner. Once the car was stopped Sam and Clint stepped out on either side of her, and Alessia followed Sam out onto the sidewalk.

It really _was_ a small town. There were only two streetlights on the entire street. The building Sam had Steve stop in front of was a camp and hiking supply store. On one side of it was a small boutique store with dressed mannequins in the window, and on the other side was an old fashioned candy and toy store. Across the street was a used bookstore and a cafe. Very quaint, the sort of place tourists probably stumbled upon when vacationing in the bigger city closeby. It was still dark so the streets were lit with the yellow of the two streetlights, and a muggy, damp smell hung in the air like it does on cool evenings, but Alessia could sense the approaching dawn.

Clint had circled around the car to where Alessia and Sam were standing. Steve and Bucky were still in the front of the jeep, talking to each other in low voices. Alessia couldn't hear their words, and knew it was rude to try too, but she could tell by the tone of voice that Bucky was reluctant to leave with her and Sam.

"You're going to be fine, I promise." Clint began, the comforting paternal softness to his voice. "Sam knows what he's doing. And Bucky… Cap's trusted Bucky for a long time, so, that means I trust him." Clint almost seemed like he was convincing himself rather than Alessia.

"What is Laura gonna tell my mom?" Alessia asked.

"She'll think of something. Don't worry about that. Just… Just try to keep up with the guys, and I think you'll be fine. You'll be fine." He said it again, the same way, like he was convincing himself that it was true. "Yeah, I'll be fine." Alessia replied.

Steve and Bucky exited the car, Bucky's face in shadow, his hair falling over it. Steve stopped on the sidewalk beside Bucky to pull him into a hug. He muttered something in Bucky's ear and when they parted, shared a meaningful glance.

Steve pulled away from Bucky and turned to Sam "You got this?" He asked.

"Man, you know I do," Sam replied. Steve nodded at him, gave Alessia a little nod of acknowledgment, and shared another look with Bucky before nodding to Clint to follow him into the car.

Clint pulled Alessia into a tight goodbye hug. "You're gonna be fine," He said. He pulled away to smile at her. "You can handle this. I know you can." He sounded more confident now. Alessia smiled back at him. "Bye," She said.

"Bye," He replied, giving her shoulder a squeeze, and smiling at her one last time before turning to get into the car. He had opened the door and had been about to step in, when he turned, looking back at Sam and Bucky "And no funny business, either of you, she's my precious little flower."

"CLINT!" Alessia barked, face reddening. He left her with a wink, slipping into the car and shutting the door behind him. Steve started the engine, and pulled away. Alessia was trying to channel the heat away from her face, so that Sam and Bucky wouldn't see how red she was. _Why did he have to say that?_ Alessia thought, irritably, unable to look up at Sam or Bucky. Instead she glanced up at the tail lights of the car, rounding a curve and disappearing out of sight.

 _Oh god, he's really leaving. He's leaving and he's taking Captain America with him. What kind of plan have I signed up for?_ Alessia thought, stomach turning.

Alessia turned around to see Sam picking the lock on the camp store they were standing in front of. Bucky was standing off to the side, his arms crossed and a vacant expression on his face, gazing into the distance. _He's probably really disappointed that Steve is gone now._ Alessia thought. _I wonder what he thinks about when he stares off like that._ Bucky glanced over at her at that moment, catching her watching him. Alessia felt her cheeks warm yet again and quickly focused her attention to Sam. To her relief, at that instant the handle clicked and Sam opened the door.

Leading the way inside Sam started saying: "We're just here for necessities, alright? I don't know how long we're going to be fugitives, so don't be afraid to stock up, anything you think you might need." He had already grabbed a backpack from the rack of them and started stuffing it with beef jerky and bottled water from the stand by the checkout.

Alessia made her way to the hiking boots section , and started searching for her size. She grabbed a pack of socks from the stand beside the shoe shelves, and found a pair of lace up boots that seemed pretty comfortable. She was glad to see that in addition to having socks, there were packs of underwear and tee shirts down the next aisle, along with the sleeping bags and thermal underwear. She grabbed these and turning back to the front of the store, found another backpack and stuffed the socks, tee shirts, and undies into it.

Sam had moved onto the section with small propane stoves.

"I'd save the space, if I were you." Alessia said. Sam glanced back at her.

"I mean, unless you were planning on ditching me, you shouldn't need one of those." Alessia explained. Sam silently replaced the propane tank.

Alessia caught a glimpse of more foil packages, and realized that the wall on the far side of the store had dozens of "just add water" meals. She headed over, slinging the backpack over one shoulder so that she could still put things in it with her other hand. She started examining the options, and was wondering if dehydrated pizza could actually look as delicious as the photo on the front, when she realized Bucky was next to her. _Right_ next to her. She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up the second she noticed that he was practically touching her. _How is is even possible to be that quiet?!_ She wondered.

"They're like… rations." he muttered, more to himself than to Alessia. He was holding a foil package of dehydrated chicken. "They're like.. K-rations. Those were always the worst."

Alessia wasn't quite sure if she should respond or not. He looked sort of confused, standing there, like the package was a math problem he was trying to solve in his head. In the light from the streetlamp outside, Bucky's left arm and the foil package in his hand glinted, but his hair threw shadows across his face.

Alessia wanted to ask him if something were wrong, but she already knew the answer from the look on his face. And there was no point in asking him exactly _what_ about dehydrated chicken was bothering him so much- it was undoubtedly not something he was going to tell _her_ about. So instead of trying to talk to him, she timidly set her hand on his shoulder. He didn't brush it away, so she slowly, carefully, lifted the pack of chicken out of his loose grip and put it back on the wall. He turned his gaze at her, and didn't change his expression. He stared for a second, a blank, empty look in his eyes, before breaking eye contact with her.

"I'm sorry." He said. He shrugged his shoulder so that her hand slid off. He shifted his gaze downward, and turned around and disappeared down another aisle.

 _What was that?_ Alessia wondered, glued to the spot. _Rations? K-rations? Maybe.. It must be a military thing. That makes sense I guess._

They left the camp store shortly after. The sun was starting to come up and the air was tinged with early morning chill. In the pink dawn light, the three of them set out with stolen backpacks and a stony silence between them.

They found a car in the back parking lot of a library nearby, and Sam managed to hotwire it. Bucky slid into the passenger seat, Alessia took the back, and they were on the road before the sky had lightened.

They drove in silence for about an hour before Alessia's impatience got the better of her.

"So, we were kidnapped by something called Apex Gold Unlimited?" She asked.

"Yep." Sam replied shortly.

"Which is a front for some kind of…?" Alessia trailed off.

"We're not sure exactly," Sam sighed. "But Tony thinks that they may have off-world allies."

"Off-wo.. Wait, do you mean aliens? Like the ones in New York?" Alessia asked.

"Apparently Stark had traced some radiation back to them that might have to do with interplanetary communication.. Or something. That's why Thor is on earth right now. He's supposed to be helping out with the research."

"And this same place… was blackmailing the avengers to disable their weapons.. And they might have aliens in on all of it?" Alessia asked.

Sam sighed. "That's the long and short of it," was all he said. The silence resumed, and Alessia turned to watch the scenery fly by. The country road they were driving down was absolutely deserted. It was paved, but patchy, and there were no businesses or rest stops for miles. Every so often they would pass a gas station, but the car wasn't running low, and Alessia was pretty sure none of them had money anyways. The lonely road didn't bother Alessia, but she found the silence unnerving, mostly because she had too much to think about. It seemed like Sam and Bucky both wanted to remain in contemplative silence, but it made Alessia antsy.

Alessia leaned forward to try and see Bucky in the passenger side. His head was turned to the window, resting on his fist, so she couldn't see his face. But since Sam had already proved an unwilling conversation partner she tried again.

"Soo.. Bucky." She said. He didn't acknowledge her. "You're um… friends with Captain America? That's really cool, how'd you meet him?" She asked, as innocently as possible.

He didn't respond right away, which made Alessia worry. It seemed like a simple enough question. Either he'd correct her and say they were more than friends, or simply answer it. Besides, what else was she supposed to ask him? How'd he get a metal arm? Why is he wanted by the government? It was really the only logical conversation starter with him.

"I- I don't really remember… We've been friends a long time." He said finally.

"You don't remember?" Alessia asked, dumbfounded. "He's a national icon…"

No response. Alessia slumped back into her seat. They drove on. The sky darkened with storm clouds. Soon Sam had to switch the headlights on. Alessia casually rolled one of the backseat windows down, to catch a whiff of the storm.

"Um, do you mind?" Sam asked from the front seat.

"Hmm?" Alessia murmured absentmindedly playing with the manual crank on the window. Her car had electric windows, _The crank is so cute_ she thought _like the car we had when I was a kid.._

"It's _freezing._ " Sam said.

"Oh, sorry," Alessia quickly apologized. "I don't really get cold." She explained, as she wound the window shut.

It wasn't long after this that Sam pulled over so that they could set up camp for the night. Pitching a tent in the rain was never fun, but with an unfamiliar tent and only the light of the headlights, it took them about half an hour. Afterwards, they piled in the sleeping bags from the camp store, and Sam flicked off the headlights of the car.

"Alright, you guys get some sleep," Sam said as Alessia was unlacing her shoes "I'm gonna take the first wa-"

"No you sleep, you drove here," Bucky interrupted him, an exasperated tone to his voice. "I'll watch."

Alessia settled into the middle sleeping bag, while Sam climbed into the one on her left side.

"Man, even when he's doing you a favor…" Sam muttered.

The rain pattered heavily on the tent. "Why… why is his arm.." Alessia timidly began.

"It's… a weird, messed up story." Sam said.

"So he… he did _have_ a normal arm once? He wasn't just born without it?"

"Yeah." Sam said.

"Why is he wanted? I mean, he must have done something pretty bad."

"Listen, you really don't want to know." Sam said with a tone of finality.

Alessia let out a deep sigh and turned onto her side so that she was facing away from Sam. This was too frustrating. At least when Captain America… or rather _Steve_ and Clint had been around she was able to get _some_ answers. Bucky was practically non-verbal and Sam wasn't much better. Alessia fell into an uneasy sleep listening to the rain falling on the tent and trying not to think about anything else.

The high-pitched singing of a zipper being rapidly undone jolted Alessia into consciousness. She sat up in an instant, gasping hard and blinking rapidly into the darkness. The rain was still pelting down outside and Alessia could just barely see a figure in the entry of the tent.

"It's just me," Bucky's voice was low and gravely. He sounded tired.

"I guess that's my cue," Sam said, rolling over in the sleeping bag. He groaned as he pulled himself up. Bucky stood aside to let Sam out before he came into the tent.

Alessia stayed sitting up as Bucky ducked in and started taking off his shoes and his jacket. Alessia could still barely see, but she could hear him taking off the jacket he'd gotten from the camp store, and unzip his sleeping bag.

"You can go back to sleep you know." Bucky said irritably, noticing that she was still sitting up. "I'm uh, sorry I woke you up."

"Aren't you all wet though?" Alessia asked.

Bucky scoffed. "And?"

"Well, how can you fall asleep like that? Couldn't you get sick?" She said. She could hear him make another slight scoffing noise. Why did he have to be like that? She was trying to be nice to him…

"Well, do you have a dryer?" He asked, voice oozing in sarcasm.

"I was going to offer to dry them for you, asshole." She retorted. "But if you wanna fall asleep in cold wet clothes and catch pneumonia or something, be my guest." She lay back down.

Bucky was silent for a moment, and Alessia knew he wasn't in bed yet because there was no more rustling. After a moment he asked: "Can you actually dry them?"

Alessia sat up. "Yeah, just gimme your clothes." The words were out of her mouth before she had thought about them. She felt her face flush and snapped her mouth shut. She heard Bucky snort and she flushed even deeper. There was the sound of wet fabric being dragged across skin. She saw a glint of orange on what must have been Bucky's arm and realized she was blushing so hard she was actually _glowing._

"Here," Bucky said. Alessia reached her hand out and found his outstretched arm. After a fumbling moment of moving her hands down from his elbow, she made it to his wrist and hand and found the dripping wet tee-shirt he had been wearing. She took it and hugged it to her chest, trying to channel her utter embarrassment into her arms and torso. Meanwhile she could hear a pants zipper come undone and the more wet fabric rustling. _Wait.. is he… he wouldn't give me his underwear, would he? Oh god, he's not getting NAKED is he?_

Bucky reached his arm out again and Alessia once again fumbled, accidentally grazing his fingers with her hand. Alessia's heart was pounding almost as hard as it had been at the boy's camp earlier. She grabbed his pants and pulled them into the bundle with his shirt. She tried not to think about the fact that Bucky was sitting there, probably completely naked, and tried to focus on the quickly drying clothes in her arms.

"So you don't ever get cold?" Bucky asked, breaking Alessia's concentration.

"Not unless I'm really tired or hungry." She replied. "Are you saying you're cold? 'Cuz I'll be done with these in a second."

Bucky was silent for a moment, and Alessia ran her hands over the bundle of clothes. They were warm and most importantly, dry. She shook them out slightly and handed them over to Bucky "Here you go."

He took the bundle from her and Alessia lay back down in her sleeping bag. _That wasn't awkward at all. Nope._ She could hear Bucky getting dressed again and then the rustling of the sleeping bag as he lay down finally.

"Thanks." Bucky said gruffly.

"Mmm." Was all Alessia gave in return.


	10. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

They continued driving for another two days, stopping to set up camp at night. Alessia thought that Sam was just trying to get them as far off the grid as possible, but on the third day they started seeing more gas stations and other cars on the road. Then some chain restaurants and larger grocery stores. Before long they had actually entered a city .

"Shouldn't we be laying low?" Bucky asked Sam.

"We need to check in, see if there's anything on the news." Sam replied.

The friction between the two men was driving Alessia nuts. They couldn't seem to talk to each other without snapping, and it meant that Alessia hadn't participated in a real conversation in days. _She_ was, if anything, glad when Sam revealed that he had plastic and checked them into a motel. Although he made Alessia and Bucky stay in the car while got the key, and tried to keep them out of sight as much as possible as they walked to the room. It was the sort of motel where the doors were on the outside of the building, and they had to walk up a flight of cement stairs to the room Sam had checked out.

Sam unlocked the door with a key card and the three of them stepped in with their backpacks. "Ah, a bed!" Alessia sighed, falling onto the closest one, tossing her backpack to the side. After sleeping in sleeping bags on the ground or cramped up in the back seat of the car, the box-spring motel bed felt like _Heaven._ Neither Bucky nor Sam seemed to feel the same way, and both dropped their bags and began inspecting the room.

The room was a typical two-bed-and-a-mini-fridge deal, with a large T.V that boasted three movie channels. A small glossy folded paper sign on one of the bedside tables promised free wifi with the password "HOSPITALITY." Not that Alessia could use the wifi, since she didn't have a phone or computer.

Sam plopped down at the foot of the empty bed and flicked on the television. He surfed through a few channels before settling on a major news network. Alessia didn't want to listen to it. They were talking about a several buildings that had been burned down in the past four days. The trending theory after the third incident, which took out five residential homes, was that there was a serial arsonist on the loose. The story was making Alessia feel sick, especially when the reporter announced that "The cumulative death toll of all four incidents is thirty-seven victims, eighteen of which children and young adults. "

"Ugh, I don't want to hear this," Alessia said, sitting up. "I'm going to get some air."

Sam grunted in response. Bucky, arms crossed leaning against the wall in the corner gave her a sidelong glance before returning his gaze to the TV. Alessia walked as slowly as possible to the door, hoping that either Bucky or Sam would offer to keep her company, but she made it outside before one of them did.

The narrow walkway outside was open air, and the view from over the hand railing was mostly undeveloped forest. She leaned her arms on this and stared into the greenery, corrupted only by a telephone line peeking from behind the trees, and the motel parking lot in the foreground. A light drizzle was descending from the gray overcast sky, and a brisk breeze was in the air. At least, to Alessia it felt brisk, cool and nice. She was aware that it was, in fact, rather cold out, and her powers were the only thing that made her comfortable in just a short-sleeved tee shirt.

Of course, the cold wasn't the only temperature Alessia had a natural immunity to. No matter how hot it got, and even if she was tired and hungry and sad, the heat never got to her. It did make sense, considering her abilities. But with this thought on her mind, Alessia gripped the handrailing and considered the dozens of people who died in fires.

Not just the ones on the news tonight, or the ones that she was responsible for, but just that it was a thing. That fire, an energy that poured out of her as naturally as tears or sweat, was a deadly and destructive force, capable of leveling a neighborhood with little assistance. It sent a shudder down her spine, and tiny voice inside herself said: _You're a monster._

Alessia had only ever hurt someone who had tried to hurt her first. She told herself this again and again, but there were still times that her dreams were haunted by Dylan's mother, the way she looked crying at his funeral. He was her only child. He was the star of the football team. He was the high school heart throb who all the girls liked. He was, inexplicably, was the first boy who asked Alessia Haddock on a date. He was an eighteen year old with an alcohol problem, that she witnessed, when he drank an entire forty in under five minutes. He was a drunk teenager who wouldn't take no for an answer. And she had killed him.

There was a loud crash on the ground some ways to her left. Startled out of her thoughts, Alessia ran over to the corner of the walkway closest to where the sound came from. There was a pile of wooden crates that looked like it had recently been disturbed. She glanced back at the door of the motel room, and turned back look at the pile of crates. A faint whimpering sound escaped the pile of wood. Without a second thought, Alessia took off down the stairs. She dashed around the building to the outside corner where the pile of crates sat. She slowed to a walk as she started to approach the crates. She bent her knees lower as she walked, searching for the source of the whine she had heard. A small movement in the shadows confirmed that it was either a small dog or a very large cat. Alessia clicked her tongue softly, and cooed "Here, sweetie. Come heeeeere sweeeeetiiee."

A tiny pale-yellow, black-nosed face peeked out from under the nearest crate for half a second before retreating back. A puppy, at least part golden retriever, by the looks of it. Alessia dropped to her knees and whistled softly, patting her thighs with her hands. The tiny puppy face reappeared, and this time the rest of the puppy timidly followed. The dog was disgustingly dirty, very skinny, and without a collar. Alessia wished she had a treat or something to offer the stray, but a quick pat of her pockets reminded her that all of the food was in the backpacks.

Instead, Alessia reached her hand out slowly to the dog, allowing the anxious puppy to sniff her fingertips before stepping slightly closer. She turned her hand over, open and palm up, and was delighted when the puppy continued to sniff her, burying its damn snout in her hand. Alessia gently moved her hand to the dogs ears, barely touching as she pet the animal. The dog had sat itself down on its hind legs in front of Alessia, and started panting with sweet grin on it's face.

"Hey there sweetie," Alessia said, barely above a whisper. "You wanna come get cleaned up? Hmm? Get you some food, love? Hmm?" The puppy's gaze, which had been fixed on Alessia face, shifted to slightly behind her, its grin dissolving and it's ears perking up. Alessia followed the dog's gaze over her shoulder.

"Jesus _Christ_ you're sneaky." Alessia said, her heart missing a beat when she realized Bucky was only about six feet away from her.

"You shouldn't go wondering off." He said.

"But… _it's a puppy."_ Alessia crooned, turning her attention back to the dog. "Come here love, I'll take you inside." She said, gently lifting the dog off of it's feet. The animal resisted slightly, kicking it's tiny legs a little as Alessia shifted the dog so that it's feet were supported in the crook of her arm. It was even lighter than it looked, and shivering too. Alessia hugged the dog, trying to channel just a tiny bit of warmth to her arms. She stood and turned to face Bucky, only to see that he had disappeared. _Damn that boy is quiet…_ She thought, beginning the trip back to the room slowly so that the movement wouldn't jostle the dog too much.

When she got back to the room, Sam was already waiting for her at the door.

"No," He said.

"Tell this poor sweet baby that," She said, turning her body so that the dog's face was pointed at Sam. As if on cue, the puppy turned its big simpering eyes right at Sam and cocked its head just ever so slightly, lifting one of its ears a bit.

"Goddamnit.." Alessia heard Sam say as she slipped past him. Bucky wasn't in the room when she walked in, but the bathroom door was open, the light was on, and Alessia could hear water running from inside. She peered through, timidly, hoping the door being open meant that Bucky wasn't in the shower.

Bucky was kneeling at the base of the bathtub, the faucet on full blast filling the bath. He was running his right hand in the water, and when Alessia peered in the doorway he nodded his head back to invite her in. She stepped in the small bathroom, and Bucky outstretched his arms, gently taking the dog out of her grasp and moving it to the tub.

The puppy's fur immediately left murky swirls in the tub, but dog sat with it's nose in the air and eyes closed in what looked like complete bliss as Bucky scooped handfuls of water up and let them trickle gently over the dog's body and face.

Alessia grabbed the tiny shampoo bottle from the counter and lathered some of it's contents between her hands. She started at the puppy's head, carefully avoiding the face with the shampoo, working the lather into the golden fur of the dog's neck and upper body. Bucky kept scooping up water, letting it rinse the shampoo and dirt off the dog's body as Alessia rubbed the dog's fur with suds.

When the puppy's small body had been cleaned, Bucky grabbed one of the hotel towels and draped it between his arms so that when Alessia took the dog out of the water she was able to place it on his lap and he could wrap the puppy in the towel.

Alessia pulled the plug on the bath and followed Bucky out of the bathroom. Sam was still sulking about the puppy, a grumpy look on his face while he pointedly ignored the other two, eyes glued to the news on TV. Bucky sat on the bed Sam wasn't in, puppy bundle in his arms, and Alessia unzipped her bag, pulling out the other half of the disgusting bagged burrito that she hadn't been able to finish the night before. The puppy didn't seem to think it was disgusting at all- in fact Alessia had to pull the burrito away from the dog because the puppy was eating it so fast Alessia was afraid it would choke. Bucky ran his hands over the little animal's body, gently scratching it behind the ears, and stroking its back. Alessia, sitting cross legged on the bed next to him, fed it smaller scraps of food so the dog wouldn't get sick eating too quick.

Soon the burrito was gone, and Bucky pulled a can of Vienna sausages out of his backpack. Alessia contorted her face in disgust. _Did he actually PICK Vienna sausages? To EAT?_ Bucky laughed at her reaction, peeling back the top of the can. A smile, a _real_ smile was still on his lips. The first smile she had seen so far. It lit up his face and made him look so friendly and handsome.

Bucky picked a sausage out of the can, offering it to the dog, who eagerly accepted it. While the puppy munched away, Bucky pulled another sausage out of the can and, making painful, intense eye contact with Alessia, popped it into his mouth.

Alessia gagged. Bucky snorted again. Sam groaned in exasperation from the other bed. This sent Alessia into a fit of giggles, and this had the strange effect of getting a laugh out of Bucky. Just one. And then, as the puppy clamoured for another sausage, another chuckle, and then the dog had somehow managed to spill the sausage juice and a few sausages on the bedspread. Alessia let out a squeal, avoiding the logs of canned meat that the excited puppy was not chasing after in blankets, while Bucky watched the whole scene gasping for breath between laughs.

In the background, Alessia was just barely aware of the fact that Sam was turning the TV off and going outside. Instead she was more amused by the dog lapping the sausage juice of off Bucky's fingers while he laughed and tried to keep the rest of the can from spilling.

After a moment, the inevitable last rounds of the laughter turned into sighs as they both calmed down. Alessia glanced back to see that Sam's figure was silhouetted in the curtain from the streetlight outside that had just come on.

"Looks like we drove him away." She remarked. This sent Bucky into a new wave of laughter that infected Alessia as well. "Oops," He said with a snort, gathering the rouge sausages from the bed while the puppy followed eagerly, trying to get them first.

They didn't stay at the motel for much longer. The next morning they were back on the road, and Alessia insisted they brought the dog with them. She got the impression that Sam wouldn't have let her, but that Bucky's silent scowling stare was what got her her way.

Bucky, who had informed Alessia the dog was definitely a girl, was calling her Buttercup in the softest of voices. Alessia wanted to argue that since she had found the dog, she should name it, but it became clear very quickly that Bucky had a soft spot for the animal and Alessia let it slide. How was she supposed to argue with him anyway, when Buttercup had turned him from an intimidating and sarcastic asshole into the biggest cinnamon roll she'd ever seen in her life.

The fact that Bucky refused to let Buttercup ride anywhere besides his lap also won Alessia the front seat for the first time since they'd got the car. Sam didn't want a dog in the front seat. Even though Buttercup was very well behaved and very small, Alessia mentioned neither of these and climbed in shotgun.

"I think we're due for another grocery run," Sam said as he started the engine. In the back, Buttercup whimpered at the noise of the car. "And I think we could use a phone." He pulled out of the motel parking lot. "I asked the guy at the desk and he said that there's a mall a few miles away. Alessia, would you be okay going by yourself to get a cell phone?"

"By myself?" Alessia asked, surprised at the suggestion. "How come?"

"There's a lot more security at malls, because they sell jewelry and electronics and stuff like that, which means you're more likely to get caught on camera."

"Riiight. So, um,"

"So, you aren't considered wanted or missing by the police or government. The only info they have on you is that you exist. Assuming you didn't tell Pepper your full name that is, nobody should have photos of you go on, and you can probably pass unnoticed."

"Are you sure?" She asked nervously. Alessia was trying to remember if she ever _did_ tell Pepper and Jane her full name. And, though she was pretty sure she didn't, The name Alessia was pretty uncommon, and there was a limited number of girls with her name who lived close enough to Clint for the search to be pretty narrow. Alessia pictured Tony Stark stumbling onto her facebook page. There were still pictures of her on there from when she was in the Devil Town Dolls. Oh god, and what if he googled her? She'd attempted it only once, and the top result was a routine from six years ago, to the song "you're the one that I want" from Grease. _IronMan is going to know how much of a loser I am._ Alessia thought.

"I think you'll be fine," Sam said, bringing her back to the present. "I'm more concerned that we'll be recognized when we're together than on our own. Just be cool and don't act like you're hiding from anyone, and no one will think you are."

Fifteen minutes later, Sam dropped Alessia off at the mall, promising to be back in less than an hour to get her.

"What if you're not here?" Alessia asked, peering at Sam through the passenger window as she dawdled on the sidewalk by the mall entrance. She really didn't want to go anywhere by herself. She was all too aware of the fact that, though her powers were pretty useful in a fight, it would really only take three or four trained fighters with the right weapons to take her out. Maybe less. Her confidence was falling along with her body temperature as Sam said:

"Don't worry, we'll be here." He smiled to reassure her. "We're just going to go get some more food and supplies."

"Don't forget dog food!"Alessia said, this time addressing Bucky. "She needs the one specifically for puppies."

Bucky smiled at her, still petting Buttercup mechanically, and still seated in the back. "Sure thing." He said.

"Alright, see you in an hour!" Sam said, giving Alessia a confident smile before he pulled away. Alessia was left standing on the sidewalk, nervously fingering the bundle of cash in her pocket as she set out off.

The mall was a maze of carpeted hallways and flashy storefronts. Alessia had lost count of what day of the week it was, but judging by the crowds of teenagers, it was probably a Saturday or Sunday.

Sam had only given her $120 to get a phone and enough minutes to last them "a few weeks." Even so, she was able to get an off-brand smart phone and two months of service and still have $15 left over. And forty-five minutes to wait.

She considered buying herself something, but spending money on the sort of girly stuff she'd normally be tempted to buy at the mall seemed inappropriate considering the circumstances. Instead she settled in one of the cushioned benches between a pretzel stand and a department store and decided to figure out the new phone.

After a brief glance at the apps the phone came with, and checking to see what the texting format was, she hit the browser icon. There were a couple things she really wanted to search. She was about to type in "Winter soldier"- the words Clint had said before they'd split up, but she stopped before she searched it. Anything she searched on the phone would be visible in it's history, but more importantly, it could show up in the mall's wifi network. Anything too suspicious could set off a signal. So instead, she opened a private browser, and searched "Tony Stark."

Iron Man's wikipedia page was full with scientific lingo and stock information about Stark industries. A remarkably dull read, she switched to "Steve Rogers/Captain America," as soon as she saw the link. Steve's page was almost as boring as Tony Stark's. Someone had cataloged every battle he appeared in during world war two, with meticulous dates and locations. She was going to skip towards the end where the heading "Affiliation with Avengers" promised more current information, when a picture caught her eye. _Was that Bucky?_

The date beneath the picture said it was from 1944, but that _had_ to be wrong. That was definitely Bucky standing next to Steve in the picture. His hair was shorter, and he was wearing clothes that definitely _looked_ like they were from the 40's, but.. It was him. There were a few other men standing around Steve, framing him so that he was the middle of the group. Alessia read the description beneath the photo. _With his howling commandos, pictured here: Dum Dum Dugan, Jim Morita, Gabe Jones, James "Bucky" Barnes,_

"Well that doesn't make any sense." Alessia muttered. She tried to enlarge the picture as much as possible. The Bucky in the photo was carrying a gun in both hands, some sort of rifle. It must have been old too, because the guns Clint had gotten her to practice with were much sleeker. But Alessia wasn't trying to look at the gun. The picture was very poor quality, so no matter how much she increased it the detail of Bucky's left hand stayed vague and indiscernible. She remembered how Sam said that the story of how Bucky lost his arm was messed up. It looked like, in this picture dated 1944, that he still had it.

Her eyes flitted up to the time in the corner of the phone. _Shit, Sam will be here soon,_ she thought, quickly exiting all the windows she had open. She stuffed the phone into the pocket of her jeans and walked briskly to the end of the mall where Sam and Bucky were going to meet her.

 _Maybe it's a family name._ Alessia thought, walking through the automatic doors to the sidewalk to wait. _He could just be one of those people who looks exactly like their dad. Grandad? It happens I guess._

 _But Steve had acted like he was meeting his long lost friend. He wouldn't be that way if it was just his friend's grandson, would he? And besides, Bucky wouldn't be the only person who lived through seventy years without aging._

 _But Captain America only survived all that time because he's a supersoldier, and because he was frozen. A normal person wouldn't be able to survive being frozen like that._

Alessia was tempted to open the wikipedia page again. Maybe looking at the picture again would convince her it wasn't really Bucky. It was a very grainy picture after all. Alessia glanced up and down the parking lot, looking for the car Sam was driving. He'd promised they'd be back in an hour… Alessia took the phone out and checked the time. He was late, by almost fifteen minutes. Alessia walked a little along the sidewalk trying to see if Sam had parked the car to wait for her. Nothing. She reflexively swiped the phone unlocked and opened up the dial pad before she remembered that Sam and Bucky didn't have a phone to call.

Alessia was getting nervous. She fingered her necklace and shifted her weight from foot to foot. Every time she glanced a car moving out of the corner of her eye, she'd perk up, stepping forward hopefully, only to be disappointed. She checked the phone again. It had been an hour and a half since she was dropped off, and Sam had made it seem like they wouldn't even be gone the full hour.

Another car pulled up. Not Sam. Half a dozen boys around Alessia's age were piled in the back. She was painfully aware that several of them were looking at her as the car drove slowly past where she stood..

"Hey hon, you waitin' for someone? We can give you a ride." one of the boy's shouted. Alessia pretended she couldn't hear, staring intently at her phone.

"You look lonely," it was a different voice, from the same car. "Want some company?"

Alessia wondered what would happen if she _did_ ask them for a ride. _Yes, I need a ride to a grocery store, I'm looking for two guys and a dog.._

"C'mon doll, don't ignore us,"

Alessia glanced up one last time, doing her best to avoid looking at the van full of cat-callers. No Sam. She turned around.

"Where you going babe?"

"Don't be scared, we just wanna show you a good time!"

"Aww, hun don't be like that,"

Alessia wanted to turn around and tell them that she wasn't scared, but it wasn't worth it. Standing around being harassed wasn't fun, and turning it into a fight wouldn't do any good. She could wait inside for Sam and Bucky. If she came back outside and they'd had to wait on her… well, it served them right for being so late.

She was starting to get a cold, prickly feeling that something was very wrong, though. She walked back through the mall, with no destination in mind, just moving her legs so that her nerves wouldn't get the best of her. Sam hadn't told her what to do if he didn't come back. Why hadn't he or Bucky told her something she should do? Why had Clint had never given her a strategy for something like this? When did she need to start freaking out? What if Sam and Bucky just got stuck in traffic? What if they were in trouble? What if the plan all along was to ditch her?

Suddenly, Alessia was yanked backwards sharply, away from the brightly lit mall thoroughfare and into a dark hallway. She tried to pull away, but before she could even let out a yelp of surprise, her captor pulled her tight, one arm pinning her arms to her sides, the other hand covering her mouth.

"Be quiet," a voice said in her ear, "You're not safe here."


	11. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Alessia still thrashed against the stranger's arms. "GummhpUUPHHmmrph" Alessia struggled to shout through the man's hand.

" _Listen_ to me. Your friend's were apprehended an hour ago. The entire area is being searched just to find you." The man's voice was soft, just above a whisper and his words had the lilt of an english accent to them. Alessia relaxed slightly against him.

"Hmmvrmmoo?" Alessia asked against his hand.

"Who I am is not important." The stranger replied, correctly deciphering Alessia's muffled query. "Right now there are things you need to know. There are fifteen men that are looking for you in this building. Five of them work for Stark, nine for a national safety agency, and one for an organization called Apex Gold. He is by far the most dangerous. You were lucky that the last time they had you within their grasp they didn't know who you were. Their allies would find you an invaluable asset with great destructive power. This is important: _you musn't let them take you._ No matter the cost. It would be better to surrender yourself to one of the fourteen others."

"Mmhummhu-" Alessia tried to say. The man took his hand away so she could speak. "How do I know which one he is?" she asked.

"You don't. I do. I'm going to help you get out of here." The man's arms dropped off of Alessia body, freeing her. She started to turn, to get a look at him, but he put his hands on her shoulders, stopping her. "It's best for now if you don't know what I look like." he said gently. He gave her shoulders a little push sending her out into the bustle of the mall again. She fell into the crowd, trying to see the man out of the corner of her eye. A dark hoodie was casting a shadow over his face anyway. She focused her attention forward again, shuffling through the bodies that pushed against her.

"Just keep walking," Came a breathy english whisper closeby. "And take a left up here, two from the agency are coming the other way."

Alessia did her best to follow his instructions, hoping this was the right thing to do. He said Bucky and Sam had been captured. She didn't want to believe him, and she didn't like trusting someone who wouldn't let her see their face, but what other choice did she have?

 _Besides,_ part of Alessia thought, _It's not like Bucky or Sam are trusting you with anything. Bucky is a wanted ninety-year-old and nobody will tell you how or why._

"Out this door up here," said the man, just a few paces behind her. Alessia veered to the closest exit. The doors swung open for her mechanically and she stepped through, followed closely by the man.

"Keep walking," He instructed her.

"Where am I going?" Alessia asked, half exasperated, half apprehensive.

"Into the parking deck ahead of you." He said, falling at her side, his face still obscured in shadows. Alessia had to pick up her speed to keep up with him as they walked under the cement awning into the first level of the parking deck. It was dark inside, lit by sporadic industrial lights.

"We're being followed," The stranger murmured.

"What?!" Alessia hissed back in an alarmed whisper, desperately fighting the urge to whip around and check.

"One of Stark's men, I believe," Said the hooded man under his breath. "Don't be alarmed, they won't recognize you."

"Uhh, why not?" Alessia asked, both wanting to know why she wouldn't be recognized and why that shouldn't alarm her.

"You won't appear as yourself to them." he replied.

 _What the hell does that even mean?_ Alessia wanted to shout.

"We still need to lose them though. I'm sorry about this."

"For wh-" Alessia began, before tumbling down onto the pavement, scraping her palm on the way down.

"OH FUCK ME!" Alessia swore, checking her hand. The flesh of her right hand was skinned, and her left knee was stinging, but it could have been worse. Her fingernails were all still firmly attached and her ankles were both okay.

"Miss, are you alright?" a deep male voice echoed off the walls of the parking deck, accompanied with rapid footsteps.

"Uh, yeah, I think I'm okay." Alessia said, looking up for the owner of the voice. A tall tan and muscular man in a V-neck helped Alessia to her feet. His biceps were almost as big as Alessia's thighs. Maybe bigger, it was hard to tell, because Alessia was also noticing the tiny earpiece peeking from his ear, and her heart was tripling its normal speed.

 _Oh god he was totally following me, he looks exactly like the type of guy you'd send to take out a dangerous person._

She met his eyes for only a second. Dark brown, almost black. Something unforgiving in them. For half a second he stared back at her, his massive hand still on her arm from helping her up, and Alessia felt a cold icy sense of fear shoot through her.

"You should be more careful, ma'am." He said, dropping his hand, no hint of sincerity in his voice. He turned around, heading back in the direction from where he came. Alessia stared after him, not sure what exactly what had happened.

"Come on," her hooded companion said, nudging her shoulder to guide her, "Let's get going,."

She followed him mechanically, her neck craned around, eyes still fixed on the shrinking silhouette of the muscular man with the earpiece.

"What… why… how come.." She tried to iterate her thoughts, but a real sentence didn't seem to be leaving her mouth.

"He's _gone_ now," The hooded man said. "Don't worry about him anymore."

"But-"

"Come on, this next left, I have the blue one."

Alessia turned her attention forward again and looked for a blue car. It was so dark that that it was hard to tell what color some of the cars were. The hooded man led her to a subaru parked crookedly in two spaces instead of one.

"This is you?" She asked, her inclination to trust him dropping even more.

"I don't have much experience driving," he said defensively.

"Okay, where are we going?" Alessia asked, standing her ground instead of stepping inside the car with him.

He was fumbling with a key ring, sorting through three or four keys to find the correct one.

He selected the correct key and fitted it into the lock. "I thought the best course of action would be to take you as far away from people who may be looking for you as possible." He replied with a crisply british know-it-all tone in his voice, swinging the driver's side door open.

"So you're saying you don't have any sort of plan," Alessia retorted, stepping between him and the now-open car door. She peered up into the shadows his hoodie cast over his face. He was gripping the car key the way a child might, in a clumsy fist. Alessia reached out and pushed the hoodie off of the man's face. He drew back just barely at her outreached hand, but otherwise made no move to stop her.

The dark gray cotton fell back and revealed a thin pale face framed in long messy black hair. He had sharp cheekbones and icy silver-blue eyes. He was searching her face, as though gauging her reaction.

"Will you tell me what the fuck is going on?" Alessia asked him, blocking his way into the driver's seat with her body.

He was still watching her with an unnerving intensity. "I'll tell you _everything._ " He replied.

Alessia blinked up at him. _He did keep me from getting caught.._ She thought, chewing her lip and weighing the decision. She took a deep breath and made her choice.

"Alright," Alessia said, holding her hand out, palm up. "But let _me_ drive, for Christ's sake."

* * *

The world was twisting, rapidly swirling around and around and around. A splitting headache, nauseatingly bright lights. Colors, sounds, the clenching tightness of bonds locking limbs into place. Bucky was all too familiar with sensations like these.

He tried to swallow. His mouth was very dry, and his throat rough and sore. He blinked through bleary tears, trying to see his surroundings better. For a moment, he had thought he was back in the brain-washing chair. The past few months had faded into a meaningless dream, because this was what was real. This was what life was.

But the longer he was awake, the more he remembered where he really was. Moving backwards, he recalled getting shot by four or five sedatives. He had been in a car before that. He had been with a dog. Daisy, the dog he had when he was a kid. There was a man with him. And a girl. No the dog wasn't Daisy. Who had he been with?

Steve's friend, and a girl. She had been warm. And before them, there had been Steve, looking exactly like himself, if only sadder, more worried, saying: "I'm gonna get you out of this, Buck, I promise."

Before that? It was the girl again. No, three of them. Before that? He had been going to bed in his apartment, thinking about how many newspapers he had collected and how only a few of them had anything important written on them. Before that?

His mind was tracing backwards, skimming over the dozens and dozens of missions that preceded his few months of freedom. He was traveling back in time, to a day before the train, to a time before war, looking for something like home...

He was fourteen. He was walking down the sidewalk. Steve was laughing at something he had just said. Beth, his younger sister, walked a few paces behind them. Steve was carrying her books for her, even though Beth was probably stronger than Steve. There was a girl set up ahead of them, a cardboard box on the sidewalk in front of her. Beth had dashed ahead to see it.

"Bucky, _they're puppies!"_ She'd said.

"Beth, we can't get a puppy, Mom and Dad'd kill us," Bucky was trying to say. It didn't seem to matter, though, because Steve had run ahead to catch up to her, arriving out of breath, his hair flopping into his face. He and Beth were fawning over the dog she had chosen from the litter. A tiny blonde puppy with a black nose and big eyes.

"James Barnes,"

Bucky was again sitting in a cold, steel chair, strapped painfully into the reality of the twenty-first century.

"My name is Bucky." He managed to say. His voice was hoarse, a dry rasp. He longed to be swept back into the memory of 1931. But it had evaporated into nothingness as he forced his eyes to see the world around him.

* * *

"Do you atleast know which direction is 'away'?" Alessia asked as she pulled the car out of the parking garage and started to wheel towards the mall exit.

"It doesn't matter which direction you choose as long as you keep driving." Said the dark haired man lounging in the seat next to her. Alessia let a out a deep sigh, but chose to follow the signs promising to spit her out on the interstate in a few miles.

Once she was on the road, the steering wheel grasped firmly in her hands, Alessia started to feel a sense of control and confidence fill her. She was driving, actually making choices about where things were going, and she was about to get some answers finally.

"So," Alessia began, turning her attention to the man in the passenger seat "Who are you again?"

"I don't believe I ever told you in the first place," He replied with that same self-satisfied know-it-all lilt in his voice. Alessia groaned.

"Fine. Who are you… For the first time?" She rephrased, taking her eyes of the road in front of her momentarily to check her blind spot before merging.

"Is that really the _first_ question you want to ask?" He said, that smug I-know-something-you-don't quality still in his voice.

" _Yes._ " Alessia replied. "I just found out one of the last two guys I was with might be like, a hundred or something. If you don't want to talk to me I don't need to be here. And I sure as hell don't need to be driving you around if you're not going to be helpful."

Alessia tried her best to give the man a piercing glare in between glances at the road ahead of her. Traffic was more congested here. Last thing she needed was to accidentally rear-end someone while trying to evade the law.

"My name is Loki, of Asgard." The dark-haired man said with a resigned sigh. Ahead of Alessia the traffic was letting up, but she didn't move.

"Bu-Bull shit." She said, glancing over at him. He had a bored look on his face, and that smug superior air that clung to his voice was oozing out of his very gesture. He appeared far too relaxed to be lying.

A horn sounded behind Alessia. She hit the gas hastily, trying to make up for her moment sitting idle. _Gee, sorry I didn't move fast enough for you,_ She thought. _I only just realized that the god of mischief is in the car with me._

"I don't know why I'm surprised." Alessia replied, voice defeated. "I found out my boss is an avenger less than a week ago."

"Your boss?" He asked, sounding mildly intrigued.

"Yeah, Clint. Uh, I uh.. He's not one of the better known ones I don't think you'd kn-"

"Oh, Barton. Yes, yes. I worked with him last time I was on Midgard. Brilliant marksman, as I recall."

 _He's fucking with you._ Alessia told herself, shooting rapid glances at the god in the car. _Thats his whole shtick. He fucks with people. That's all mischief really means._

"Wait wait wait." Alessia said, a new, alarming thought occurring to her, something that should have occurred to her earlier. "If you're Loki- the same Loki that trashed New York three years ago- why are you helping me? And why _shouldn't_ I pull over and kick your ass right now?"

"I am the same Loki," He replied. "I'm helping you because you, love, are a very valuable asset that I'd rather not see in the wrong hands. And as for the last one, I think you'll find I'm better company when I haven't been burned to a crisp. Don't forget that I promised to tell you anything I can, but I will be much less inclined to share if you are only interested in fighting me."

Alessia let that sink in. She didn't really think she should believe his reason for helping her wasn't motivated by some more personal gain, but he was right about her wanting answers. However, she'd really wanted answers he wasn't likely to know. Like how Bucky was still alive if he actually was the same age as Captain America, and why he was wanted. Instead, she started with something he _did_ seem to have information on.

"So you know who Apex Gold is?" She asked.

Loki sighed, exasperated. "You're starting off entirely wrong," He said. "Haven't you ever wondered why you have the ability to create fire?"

"What?!" Alessia was taken by surprise. "Wait.. you-you.. You know? I mean, you know _how_?"

This revelation was quickly replaced by a heart stopping realization. "Does that mean you know who my parents are?!" She asked, a queasy, twitchy feeling in her stomach.

"Calm down," Loki warned. "Don't get to excited."

"So, you don't know who my parents are?" She said, the nervousness in her belly refusing to subside.

"I didn't say that," Loki replied. "I just couldn't help noticing that when you get excited you steer this car rather poorly."

Alessia let out a shout of astonished indignation. "Oh, _I'm_ sorry, maybe I'm having a hard time _steering_ because the _alien_ in the passenger seat just told me he knows who my _birth parents_ are." Alessia said. "I mean, do you have any idea how big of a deal that is to me?" Alessia continued, merging onto the interstate finally.

"You may be talking to the one person who understands the most," He replied softly. Alessia shot him a look again, able to linger longer now that she was on the open highway. He wore a contemplative look and glanced up to meet Alessia's gaze. He offered her a smile that was both sad and sweet, as well as charming and sly. Alessia quickly looked back at the road. That hint of mischief in his smile reminded her who she was talking to.

"So, if you don't mind, I'm going to begin with the beginning." Loki said, briskly changing tone. "We'll get to the here and now when we come to it. Does that suit you?"

"Fine." Alessia said. "Just.. just start."

* * *

"I still don't understand. If he wasn't in control of his actions, why is he being punished?" Thor was standing with Tony and Natasha, watching the interrogation of James Barnes on the monitor. The injustice of it plagued him. "On Asgard we do not punish someone for a crime they didn't commit freely."

"It's not about why he did it," Tony said. "It's about his ability to do it. He's dangerous, Thor."

"But, is not the Hulk more dangerous? Why is he free if another must be locked away?" Thor argued.

"Doctor Banner has proven his loyalties are with the Avengers," Natasha said.

"Because you've given him the chance to!" Thor exclaimed. How could his friends be so blind? "Let Barnes do the same, we will need as many men fighting beside us as we can get if the Muspelian army arrives on Midgard!"

Natasha and Tony exchanged a glance.

"Don't doubt it, friends, they are a planet ravaged by a twenty-year civil war, and I believe the Loyalist faction will be coming to drain Midgard of it's resources."

"Look, Thor, I looked into it when you said you thought that the organization that kidnapped Pepper and Jane was in league with another planet," Tony said. "And, there were a _few_ fast decaying traces, that, I mean, _might_ be from interplanetary communications. But, they could have been from weather analysis, or radio, or a really powerful microwave, or-"

"Why do you refuse to believe what is right in front of you?" Thor interrupted. "Your world will be in great peril, and you refuse to prepare for it!"

* * *

"Want some tea?"

Wanda was hanging by the door of the blue room, one of the bedrooms in the Avengers compound not regularly inhabited. Natasha or Steve sometimes stayed in it, but today it was serving as a guest bedroom for Jane Foster.

"Oh, yes please!" Jane replied "Do you have chamomile?"

Jane was pouring over a table covered in papers that Pepper Pots had dropped off for her the day before. Equations and diagrams and charts that Wanda couldn't understand even if she dipped into Jane's mind and listened to her thoughts.

"We do," Wanda said "I'll be right back with it."

Wanda turned to head back to the kitchen. It was nice having someone like Jane around for a change. Wanda didn't really have any female friends, and even though Vision and the rest of the team were great, she wished that it was easier to find companions.

Pepper had brought readings from Tony's lab for Jane to look over. She was proof reading Stark's estimates, trying to determine whether the radiation from her kidnapper's base was from interplanetary communication.

What Jane didn't know was that Pepper didn't exactly ask Tony if she could take the readings. Pepper insisted that Tony wanted a real expert in the field to look at it, but Wanda didn't need to read minds to know that wasn't true. Stark almost never admitted that he was wrong, or that someone else might do better.

So Jane was settled into the blue room, comparing charts and diagrams and running calculations while Wanda dithered about, pretending to mind her own business. Instead she was thinking of every possible excuse to peek in on Jane. Did she want to throw any clothes in with the next wash? What should they order for dinner? Would it bother her if Wanda practiced guitar? What Wanda was really looking for was the news that Jane had either completed the calculations, or was ready for a break. But Jane was immersed, and even when Wanda snuck a quick look at her thoughts, the patterns Jane was observing were simply inconclusive. So far, she could neither prove nor disprove Thor's theory. However, unlike Stark's brief review, Jane's investigation was very, _very_ thorough.

* * *

Alessia skidded to a halt at the side of the interstate. Her hands were trembling and she felt sick. She could throw up or blow up or pass out. She was feeling waves of burning hot and freezing cold.

"You're fucking with me."

"I promise you I'm not." Loki replied. There was sincerity in his voice.

"You've got the wrong girl." She said. Her voice was trembling. She realized she was holding the steering wheel so tight that her knuckles were splotchy white and red. She let go of it like it had stung her, and drew her hands close to her body, looking down at them.

"I always knew I was a fucking monster." She said. Were those tears running down her face? She could feel them making their way down her skin, but didn't think she had been crying.

"You are not a monster," came a kind, soft whisper from her right. "Don't you understand? You're a powerful being, a born warrior, a god among mortals."

Alessia was shaking her head fiercely. "I don't want to, I don't want to, I don't to." She was saying. "P-p-p-please, I can't- I'm not-"

Loki let out a sigh, and leaned across the center console to take Alessia by the shoulders and pull her into a hug. "I understand. This is hard for you. You feel like you've lost everything. But soon you will realize that this means you have so, _so_ much more."

Alessia was stiff in his arms, and she did not hug him back. Instead, her arms were pinned to her chest, hands fisted at her collar bone. She could push him away, shove him, throw him, or just run from the car. She could run out into the highway, she could dial 911 on her phone and tell whoever answered it where she was. _Take me away from here,_ She could say. _Put me away, put me somewhere, I don't care, but I don't belong here._

Instead, Alessia gently pushed the Norse god a mischief away from her. He let go with no objection, his hands lingering on her shoulders a moment longer before he removed them.

"Would you like to know your real name?" He asked her.

Alessia's breath hitched in her throat. She closed her eyes a moment, relaxed her arms, and took a deep breath. She put her hand to the red stone around her neck, resting over her heart the way it had for as long as she could remember.

"My name is Alessia." she said.


	12. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

"Any response from him yet?" Doctor Benson asked his assistant, returning from his lunch break.

"He appears to be lucid." the younger man responded. "If only just. He seems only vaguely aware of where he is."

"Hmm," The doctor murmured, taking the clipboard away from his assistant and glancing up at the patient. This was undoubtedly the highest profile case he'd ever been presented with. This could be his ticket into the history books. This man was the product of repeated neural rewiring and cryogenic preservation. From a psychological standpoint, his brain was a goldmine of new information regarding PTSD and the effects of brainwashing. Soon, no doubt, the patient would be wanted by other medical professionals, people interested in the super soldier serum, and it's ability to allow humans to survive frozen states. Even his prosthetic arm was a wonder of robotics and engineering, so receptive to his commands it responded like a natural limb.

Doctor Benson was staring off over the top of the clipboard, picturing himself giving a TED talk about his findings. Lecturing as a special guest at ivy league schools. Young college students approaching him with trepidation, telling him how he was an inspiration to them. Some young university girls, nervously looking up with wide-eyed wonder, asking him if he had ever been scared in the presence of a such a dangerous man…

"Sir, um, I was just wondering…" The assistant pulled Doctor Benson from his reverie.

"Hmm?" Benson replied eyes still glued to the clipboard, pretending to be immersed in it.

"Well, it's just that the patient has been asking the same thing since he woke up."

Doctor Benson raised his eyes now to actually view the man inside the glass chamber. He was mouthing something weakly, and when Benson listened in, he could tell that the patient was repeating the same name in a slew of various other nonsense.

"What is he saying?" The doctor asked, turning the volume up on the speakers that connected them with the patient.

"He's asking 'where is Steve?'... in fifteen different languages, he's cycling through them. Russian, Dutch, English, Korean-"

"Have you told him anything?' The doctor asked.

"Well, I told him where we are right now… I don't actually know what Captain Rogers is doing- that is who he's asking about, isn't it? I mean, who else could he mean?"

"Who else… right." Doctor Benson placed the clipboard on the desk in front of him. Benson turned the microphone on the desk on.

"Hello?" He spoke into it. The patient behind the glass paused in his incessant mumbling for a second. "James, can you hear me?"

"He doesn't like that name sir-" The assistant cut in. "He responds to 'Bucky.'"

"Right, uh, Bucky, can you hear me?"

"Es" the patient said, in a raspy voice.

"How are you doing in there, Bucky?" The doctor asked him.

"Where's Steve?" the patient asked.

"You sound a little thirsty," The doctor went on, ignoring the question. "Would you like some water?"

Behind the glass, the patient was clearly struggling with how to answer this question. His adam's apple bobbed up and down in this throat and he licked his lips, but he refused to accept anything besides the answer to his question.

* * *

"Is that-is that a goddamn police checkpoint?" Alessia groaned, trying to see over the traffic in front of her.

"Can't you just turn around?" Loki asked lazily from the passenger side.

"Where? Where would I be able to turn around, genius?" Alessia snapped back. "Oh, this is _not_ good, I don't have my license. Shit, who am I kidding, this checkpoint is probably _just_ to find us." Alessia banged her head into the rim of the steering wheel. "Fuck. What do we do?"

"I don't know anything about Midgardian laws, why are you asking me?"

The car in front of Alessia rolled forward, forcing her to edge closer to the cop checking cars ahead.

"Alright, fuck it." Alessia responded, putting the car in park and undoing her seat belt. "Let's get out of here, try not to be obvious."

She slipped out of the car, slipping quickly through the almost motionless traffic to the other side of the highway, which gave way to a weedy patch of forestry. Despite Alessia doing nothing to help Loki keep up with her as she wove between the cars, he was at her elbows the whole time. They managed to get over the metal guard rail and dive into the greenery before several car horns started sounding off. It appeared that traffic ahead of the now abandoned car was moving, and the people behind them were noticing. Any second one or two of those cops would be turning around to investigate.

It didn't matter, because after the first several yards of forest, there was a steep incline, which Alessia took at a run, barely tripping when it leveled again, in a gravely ditch just lower than the mound in front of them. Alessia's heart was still beating urgently when Loki came to a halt behind her. _I can't get caught by the cops… and jesus what a person to be caught with._ A loud noise in the distance made her tense up again, until she realized what it was. She quickly climbed up onto the gravelly mound in front of her and realized with a grin that train tracks cut across their path. The sound was a train rolling slowly towards them.

"C'mon, follow me," Alessia called down to Loki. The ground beneath her feet was starting to vibrate and the train was visible now, having turned the corner that obstructed the view. Loki climbed up the mound to follow Alessia over the tracks and to the other side, slipping downhill again, off the gravel mound that the tracks were on. Alessia had only just regained her footing when the train started trundling past them.

"What is that thing?" Loki shouted, trying to be heard over the engine.

Alessia couldn't help laughing. "It's a train. They usually take a while to pass, so it's good we got here when we did." She shouted back to him. "C'mon, we should try and figure out what to do."

"Cannegevon?" Loki shouted at her.

"What!?" Alessia shouted back.

"GET ON?" He said, more clearly, gesturing at the train.

Alessia glanced up at the train. Of course, people jumped on and off of trains all the time, but Alessia had never done it before. However, the window of opportunity would be passing them soon, she noticed, seeing an open car approaching them. The train was moving just a little bit faster than she was able to run, but maybe that wouldn't make too big of a difference.

"LETS TRY" Alessia shouted back at him, pointing to the open car, coming up. Loki nodded, and offered her his hand. Alessia accepted, taking his icy cold fingers in her warm grasp.

* * *

"How are you doing Sam?" Natasha asked.

"Great, really great." Sam replied sarcastically. The rooms he had been confined to might not resemble a prison cell, but it was all too clear that he was a prisoner in them. The fact that Natasha wasn't even allowed to visit him without a chaperone was just insulting.

"Sam, I'm really sorry this has all gone down the way it has." Natasha commiserated. Sam refused to look her in the eye, despite the fact that she was offering him one of her rare smiles. "I brought you lunch," Natasha said, gesturing to the paper bag she had brought.

"Not hungry," Sam said coldly. That exact moment his stomach made an audible gurgle, making Sam's refusal sting even more.

"Sam," Natasha tried again. She let out a deep sigh. "I'm not going to beg you to forgive me."

"I don't know where Steve or Clint went. We split up, I don't even know if they're together or not."

"They're not the ones we're interested in finding," Natasha said calmly.

"-No, that's right, you guys have trackers on both of them, don't you?" Sam growled. He shot a look at the agent standing against the wall, arms crossed.

"Believe me, I had _nothing_ to do with that," Natasha said, and Sam could tell that she was just as angry about that as he was. Sam opened the paper bag to observe the contents..

"Sam, what happened to Alessia?" Natasha asked. "We haven't seen a trace of her. Not since that boy's camp anyway. Was she with you guys when you left?"

"She-" Sam began, then stopped himself. "She's fine. I mean, last I saw her." He unwrapped the sandwich from the bag and took a bite.

"Which was…?" Natasha prompted him.

Sam shrugged, and gave a non-committal grunt through his mouthful of sandwich.

"Sam, she's just a kid. I'm worried about her." Natasha urged him.

"You shouldn't. She seems pretty capable of taking care of herself to me," Sam deflected. "And she's managed to keep herself out of trouble so far, which is more than I can say."

Natasha sighed. It was all too obvious that Sam wasn't going to be any help in locating Alessia. Of course, she didn't blame him. She was just as worried about what might happen to Alessia if she were caught by the military before Stark industries. Bucky's treatment wasn't exactly five star, but Alessia didn't have any criminal record, and Natasha was suspicious that any tests done on her would reveal something that would guarantee her release.

"How's Steve?" Sam asked.

"In the wind," Natasha replied.

"But I thought-"

"Yeah, but he's Captain America." Natasha said, and couldn't help smiling as she said it.

* * *

The New York skyline was glittering in the twilight. Pepper was standing at the window, checking her phone like it was a nervous tick. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. The small golden puppy at her feet was watching her, knowing in that uncanny way that dogs do how nervous she was feeling.

The dog had been in the car with Bucky when he'd been captured. The nine agents who had managed to capture him had noted that he was extremely protective of the dog, and for that reason she had gone through an x-ray and had some blood tests to determine whether or not she was a threat. It was silly, really, worrying that the dog was somehow super powered. Even Pepper could tell she was just an ordinary puppy. Rather underfed, and Pepper had the feeling that the dog was probably a stray before Bucky had picked her up. It had struck her as interesting, however, because the man whom she had met at the compound had not seemed the type to be tempted by a puppy.

 _But who could resist you?_ Pepper, thought, looking down at the skinny little dog. The phone buzzing in her hand almost gave her a heart attack, and she answered the call on the first ring.

"Hello?" She said, trying to sound calm.

"Hey, Pepper, it's me…" Jane's voice came on the other end, and Pepper could tell by the way she was talking that she did not have good news.

* * *

Alessia shivered. The last time she had eaten had been a few hours after she left the mall with Loki, and the fast food had not sat well with her. That had been hours ago, and the cool night air was starting to get to her. She had toyed for a moment with the thought of asking Loki if they could bundle up for warmth. She had disregarded the idea, however, because aside from not wanting to cuddle with the god of mischief, Alessia had also realized very quickly that Loki wasn't affected by the cold. In fact, his body didn't even seem to put off any heat at all.

The train lurched forwards, the cabin Alessia and Loki sat inside rattled and shook. Alessia was sitting with her back to the wall across from the opening, watching the red sunset and the landscape speeding past her. She hugged her knees to her chest and pulled the sleeves of her sweatshirt over her hands.

"What are we going to do?" Alessia asked hopelessly, not really expecting Loki to answer. More just wondering what the heck was going to happen to her, and how the hell she was in a train with the would-be conqueror of earth. She almost wished she had just been caught with Sam and Bucky. For one, it would be a lot less stressful than worrying about getting caught, and for two, it would be a lot easier to explain. What if she were caught with Loki? She could almost feel Clint's disappointed eyes on her.

Loki, who had been standing with his back to Alessia, leaning on the side of the car and also watching the open field fly by, turned around. Catching sight of how obviously cold she was, he strode across the narrow box and stripped off his hoodie, wrapping it around her. His hoodie didn't carry any of the warmth you would expect from a recently removed piece of clothing, but Alessia accepted the extra layer of protection gladly.

"I'm working on an idea." Loki murmured, zipping the hoodie up over Alessia's shivering frame. This caught her off guard, and when she looked up questioningly, he smiled and shook his head. " _Working,_ being the operative word. But don't worry, I'll make sure you're safe."

Loki sat next to her, and gave her a smile she could tell was supposed to be reassuring and charming. It probably would have worked on her if she wasn't so mixed up and if it had been anyone other than the god of douchebaggery- sorry, _mischief_ who offered it. Alessia didn't trust him. Yet his story seemed to hold up.

"Can you explain it again?" She asked, trying her best to sound like the cute little orphan girl wanting to hear about her parents, and not like the scheming brat trying to find holes in his lie.

Loki had slung his arm over her shoulders, which would have been sweet if it kept her warm, or if she were scared of something and really believed he was her best bet to keeping her safe. Actually, the scariest idea was that he really _was_ the most trustworthy person she'd found herself with so far. That being with him in this train car was actually safer than sleeping on Clint's couch (true) or a bunk bed with Captain America sleeping six feet away (still true,) or being entrusted in Sam and Bucky's care, only to be utterly ditched by them (...and true).

"You want me to tell you everything all over again?" Loki asked, sounding annoyed, but affectionately so, like she was a little kid he was babysitting and she wanted to him to read her the same picture book twice in the same night. She settled herself against his chest. After all, he was the one who kept initiating weirdly intimate contact, maybe this was how she could get on his good side.

"Please Loki," she said. Something devious clicked in her head, and the next thing that came out of her mouth was: "You're the only person in the world who knows how I feel."

Whichever of Alessia's tactics worked on him, he slid down on the wall and kicked his legs out in front of him. "Fine, but just the highlights," he assented.

"Twenty one years ago, Muspelheim's ruling family, the Sayr's, consisted of the king, Surt, the Queen, Sinmara, and the prince, Surt's younger brother Surmayath. Surmayath was very much younger than the king, and had always thought that he would come to throne after his brother's death, but that year Sinmara found that she was pregnant. Surmayath knew that if the baby was born he would lose his chance at the throne, and so he started organizing a coup, to dethrone his brother. He was able to gain enough support in the ensuing months that when the newborn princess was only a few months old, the house of Sayr was torn to ruins.

"The rebels Surmayath had corralled imprisoned the royal family, who was set to die in a public execution, but one of the rebels must have taken pity on the baby, because the next day when Surmayath checked on his prisoners, the princess was gone.

"Because Surmayath was not sure which one of his freedom fighters betrayed him, he grew suspicious of all of them, and his supporters started losing faith in him. As the years went by, Surmayath's supporters and the loyalist's he had overthrown began to meld and separate, creating another resistance, a younger generation, who hated the strict totalitarian rule of Surmayath, but didn't favor the extremism of the rebels who wanted total anarchy.

"I have met some of these younger resistance members, when I was still an _honoured_ prince of Asgard… hmm... anyway, _that_ faction believes that the princess was hidden away in one of the other nine realms, and that the best way to restore their planet to peace is to reinstate the rightful heir to the throne. Until very recently, no one knew which of the realms contained the princess. I personally thought the princess was long gone, and that Surmayath would eventually wipe out the resistance as well as the older loyalists who still wished to see him dethroned.

"A few years ago Surmayath sent a crony of his to Asgard to muck the place up, which was really just an excuse to get him in a cell with me. He asked me about how I had infiltrated Midgard and what eventually overpowered me. Of course I could see what he was doing. Taking control of another of the nine realms would practically ensure his victory. I tried to dissuade his man, told him that as long as the Avengers protected this planet, an outside force had little hope of conquering it. After all, there are few mightier armies than the Chitauri.

"I suppose he listened to me, because the first thing he did was build a little base here and try to blackmail the Avengers- not my intention- and, in the most remarkable twist of fate managed to kidnap the very little princess who could be his own undoing. Of course, the imbecilic humans he had hired had no idea how important you were, and you managed to escape within a day. I can't _imagine_ how angry he must have been when he caught a look of you from the security footage. He would know you instantly, even if you didn't wear the royal crest, because you look _exactly_ like Sinmara.

"I only heard the news yesterday, through the grapevine that Surmayath had located the princess and she had slipped through his fingers. He was the laughing stock of his planet, and all based on a rumour. I had to see for myself. I almost couldn't believe the coincidence, that you were kidnapped with my brother's Midgardian lover, that you'd been trained by Barton, and raised on the planet I sought to rule. I knew there was a bond between us, adopted into planets that were not our own, destined to rule, yet blocked from it one way or another. My brother, either too distracted by that… _woman._. To notice your crest, or else plotting something that prevents him disclosing your identity, has not mentioned to his fellow teammates the possibility that you are royalty. I think it must be distraction, though, Thor does not do well in planning things in advance or keeping secrets…"

Outside the train car night had crept across the sky, replacing the blazing red of the sunset with an indigo blue that dazzled with stars. Beside him, Alessia had fallen asleep, shivering even though the night was not a particularly cold one. Loki knew that Muspelians, while powerful and dangerous when they were fully grown and well fed, greatly suffered when deprived of food. The little princess curled up in his arm had only barely reached her adult size, and was probably not quite at her adult strength or power.

Loki couldn't believe his luck. First, that the most powerful and advantageous ally of the century had practically walked right into him, and secondly that he had so much in common with her that he didn't even have to invent a personality to win her over. Thirdly, the girl, so very young, seemed so ready to trust him. Now she slept in his arms, and he had only known her for a few hours. Forget making friends with her, at this rate she would be in love with him before she took the throne if Muspelheim. He could certainly do worse. She was very pretty, after all, and if he were married to a proper queen he wouldn't have to put on the whole "Odin" charade any more. Loki fell asleep. still clutching the heir of Muspelheim, fantasies dancing around his head of uniting the planets under a single rulership- his own.


	13. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

"Tony,"

"Pepper," Mr Stark replied in the exact tone of voice Pepper had used. Pepper cleared her throat and began again.

"Tony, I have some guests over,"

"Oh yeah?" Tony asked. It was early Monday morning, and he stayed late into the night at Stark labs trying to decide what he was going to do. Steve's shield and Clint's bow had both been found, stacked neatly together in a locker in a gym four hours from the camp they had last been spotted at. Whether the two of them had stayed together or split up was a mystery.

Tony had fallen asleep in an empty conference room at around three or four that morning and had been shaken awake by Natasha at around seven. He was tired and had a headache from lack of sleep, and really just wanted to have a proper cup of coffee and escape to a long warm shower.

"Yeah," Pepper continued, "In the living room." Tony glanced up at Pepper, eyebrow cocked. What was she up to?

Tony followed his anxious girlfriend into the living room to be met with the last group of people he would have expected. Thor was seated on the couch in between Jane and Eric Selvig. Across from them, Vision occupied the armchair Tony normally favored. Perched on the arm of the was Wanda.

"What?" Tony's eyes danced across the cast of characters Pepper had collected. "What's going on? Is this some kind of intervention?"

"Kiiind of," Pepper answered, slinking over to the doorway Tony had just walked through, blocking his nearest exit.

"It's too damn early for this," Tony groaned, striding past the living room to the kitchen area of the open-floor plan room. He was pleased to see that someone, probably Pepper, had already brewed a pot of coffee. He fixed himself a cup, feeling eyes on his back the whole time. When he turned, Jane, Thor, Selvig, Vision and Wanda, quickly looked away. Pepper held his gaze and nodded to the open space on the love seat.

Tony obligingly sat down, taking a long sip of hot coffee. He glanced expectantly at Pepper. Jane, however, cleared her throat and began.

"I reviewed your analysis of the radiation from Apex Gold," She began.

"What?!" Tony asked, surprised. "That information wasn't released. How-?" Pepper smiled slyly from the doorway where she still stood.

"I-I'm sorry if you didn't want me to," Jane pressed on, looking to Thor for reassurance. He nodded her on.

"But, I did." Jane continued, leafing through the papers she had stacked on her lap. "And well, it's a good thing, too because, well, uh, you were wrong."

Tony glanced, unimpressed between the faces staring him down.

"I'm pretty sure I'm not," Tony said, reclining into the love seat and sipping his coffee. _Was that what this whole thing was about?_

"Yes, you are," Selvig chimed in. "I double checked Jane's results, she's right."

"I can see where you overlooked some of the wave patterns," Jane went on, selecting a few papers from her stack and passing them to Tony. "It's a simple mistake, something anyone who isn't well versed in the field would miss," She went on, as if this would make Tony feel better. He accepted the papers from her and stared down at the calculations she had made. He started at the first line and started skimming down the rest, got lost, and started at the top again. This was complicated, even to him. He made it about halfway down the page before he realized he wasn't processing it again.

"It's too early for this," He repeated, setting the papers to the side and taking a deep drink of his coffee. "But if you both have reviewed it-"

"We have." Selvig and Jane said in unison.

"Then, alright, I admit defeat." Tony sighed heavily. Today was going to be a long day.

* * *

Alessia woke up snuggled in the crook of Loki's arm. The sky was still pale outside, as the trees flew past the opening in the train car. It was chilly, but not as cold as it had been the night before. More likely, Alessia wasn't as affected by it because she'd slept since sunset. She stretched her legs out in front of her, cramped from the way she'd slept. Loki was still asleep next to her, and although he didn't put off any body heat, the place where she'd been resting against him was still warm, so she leaned back into him.

She was wondering what time it was when she remembered she could just check. She slid the phone out of her pocket, and was surprised to see that there was a new text. _Probably advertising an app or something,_ Alessia thought. But no. The text simply read: "Hey, whats up? :)"

Interesting. It might have been a wrong number. Or possibly someone had managed to find the number of the phone she'd bought after seeing her in mall security footage. Was she being paranoid? What if it was Clint somehow? What if it was aliens, national security, or Tony Stark? Alessia considered everything she knew about tracking phones. In T.V or movies you have to stay talking to someone for a few minutes to trace where the call is coming from, but she knew that some smart phones could be traced if they just had a few bars. Should she ditch the phone?

No, she decided. She wouldn't. If someone were tracing her, it was already too late. If it were Clint, she definitely wanted to keep hold of the phone. If it were a wrong number, which it very likely could have been, then there was no harm.

Alessia punched in the reply: "Nm, you?"

She expected to wait a few minutes, but only a second later, new text arrived.

"Pretty good, but worried about you. :( what happened?"

Alessia thought carefully about what she was going to say, before typing: "I got ditched."

She waited a moment. The reply took only a few seconds. "Yeah, I heard about that. Are you O.K? What happened after that?"

Alessia almost laughed. No, she really wasn't okay. This situation was super not okay. But she wasn't hurt, and she didn't want Clint to worry about her. If she was even texting Clint. She reviewed the texts. She didn't really get much opportunity to text Clint where they lived, because the signal was such crap in the country, so she didn't know if he was the type to use emoji's or punctuation. She couldn't be sure who she was talking to at all.

Loki shifted a little bit next to her. He would probably wake up soon. Alessia typed a quick response that was vague, misleading, but also true: "I met a guy ;)"

Loki groaned next to her, and Alessia stuffed the phone back into her pocket. Something told her he wouldn't like it if he found out she was texting someone.

"Morning," Alessia said, as Loki groggily stumbled into consciousness.

"Morning," He replied. He yawned and stretched his arms "How long have you been awake?"

"Not long," Alessia said. She got to her feet and walked to the open end of the train car.

"I think we're getting close to a city." She said, squinting into the dawn. She could see the outlines of tall buildings, tall enough to be considered skyscrapers, in the direction they were headed. In her pocket, she felt the phone vibrate. A new text message. She ached to check it, see what the response had been. But Loki's eyes were on her.

"Should we wait until we get there to try and get off?" Loki asked. He had joined her by the entrance, but unlike Alessia, who had a hand on the side of the open door, he was standing inches from the edge holding nothing for support. Alessia was struck with the urge to shove him out of the car. The train had gained speed since they had jumped on yesterday and the ground outside was speeding past them.

"Yeah, I guess so. I need to eat something." Alessia said. She headed back into the depths of the car and sat down against the wall again. She emptied her other pocket, the one filled with the money left over after the phone and the burgers yesterday. Eight dollars and seventy six cents.

"You don't happen to have any money, do you?" She asked, looking up at Loki, bills and change clutched in her hands.

He shook his head. Alessia bit her lip. "This really isn't a lot," She said, carefully folding the bills over the change and tucking them into her pocket again.

"Don't worry about it," Loki said. Alessia looked up at him dubiously. Loki held his hand out, and a shimmering of gold flickered in his palm, leaving behind a roll of money in his hand as it faded.

"Woah!" Alessia reached out to take the bills from Loki. But her hand passed right through the roll of cash and it dissolved, leaving her hand placed in his open palm. Loki closed his hand around hers and pulled her to her feet.

"I'm the god of trickery and mischief, I think I can take care of it."

Alessia was still staring at his hand, now holding hers in a gentle grasp

"Was it real?" Alessia asked.

"An illusion," Loki replied.

"Is that how you fooled that guy? In the parking deck?"

"It is." Loki said, simply. The phone in Alessia's pocket buzzed again. She dropped his hand and crossed her arms, looking back out the train car. Alessia really wanted to get to the city, get out of this car, and eat something. She was also eager to see what the last two texts said. Hopefully there would be some clues about who she was texting. At least she could hope there was some confirmation that she wasn't getting texts from a wrong number, and that it was someone she knew.

"Are you alright?" Loki asked.

 _No!_ Alessia wanted to scream. _No, you creep, how can I be okay, I'm starving in a train with YOU!_

"Yeah," Alessia said with a sigh. "I'm just feeling kind of weak. I'm pretty hungry."

* * *

Alessia didn't have to wait too much longer for the train to take them close to the city. They passed under a tunnel and when they came out of it the signs of industry littered the landscape. The scene outside was of a gravelly junkyard full of old cars and computers. The picture was completed with an abandoned warehouse in the distance. Alessia was much more nervous about jumping out than she had been about getting on. For one, the train was moving a lot faster, and for two, the ground they would be landing on was gravel.

Although Loki offered Alessia his hand before they jumped, she denied it. Not because of any personal reason, but she simply thought that it would be safer to jump individually.

"I'll go first then, shall I?" Loki asked. Alessia crossed her arms and took a step back. "Be my guest," she said.

Loki stood apprehensively at the edge of the train car, seemed to take half a moment to prepare, and then dove off the edge.

 _He's gone._ Alessia thought.

 _I could keep going, stay on the train, stay by myself. Stay safe._

The idea wasn't a bad one, and for a whole three seconds Alessia stood in the zipping train considering it. Then her stomach growled and her vision got cloudy. _Eight dollars is not going to feed me for very long._

She stepped back for a running start and ran full speed for the open door.

She realized her mistake immediately. She hadn't checked to see where she would land before she jumped.

The was flashing quickly in front of her. Everything seemed to be made of textures and sensation. She had landed on her hands and knees so hard that they were tingling to the point of numbness, but she could see the shiny, glossy red seeping out of them onto the rusted tangle of razor wire. The gravel was swirling and jumping around, the repeating pattern of the grayish rocks made her feel dizzy and disoriented.

She didn't move, she didn't get up. Her knees were stinging. She felt a wetness on her calves that told her her that her legs were bleeding. Her breath was ragged and the noise of the train was grinding in her ears. _I can't goddamn believe this._ Alessia thought. _There are aliens and feds and superheros and I go and screw myself by jumping onto fucking razor wire._

"Alessia!"

Alessia ran her tongue along the roof of her mouth. It was dry. Very dry. The pain in her hands and knees was starting to hit her. Her fingers were throbbing so hard that she could actually see blood gush out each time.

"Oh, Alessia." Loki sucked in air sharply through his teeth.

Alessia squeezed her eyes shut.

"I don't wanna look at it." She said. Her voice was shaky. "Is it bad?"

"It is. Don't worry we'll fix it. Here, just stand up slowly." Loki's hands were gently grasping Alessia by the waist and pulling her to her feet.

Alessia kept her eyes closed. She felt a rush of cold flood her body, and didn't feel like she could stand up very well. She staggered in Loki's grasp, almost falling over. She felt her feet leave the ground in a swift motion.

Alessia blinked. Loki was holding her bridal style, and she could see her knees. Blood soaked through her blue jeans dark and cold. Everything was extremely cold. Her hands felt cold, her lips felt cold, and she was starving to the point of feeling queasy and faint. When Loki started walking, the jostling motion made her feel like she was going to throw up. Her hands hurt the most. She couldn't look at them. She was afraid to move her fingers lest she disturb the skin and make it worse. She was seeing little white flecks in her vision and she wasn't sure if it was from shock, pain, or fatigue.

How long had Loki been carrying her? Could have been seconds or hours. Alessia felt high from the endorphins and lightheaded from hunger. Loki set her down carefully on some grass. He stood to leave and Alessia felt a rush of panic.

"Don't leave me, please don't leave me," She said. She hadn't meant for the words to sound so weak and pathetic.

"I'm not going anywhere," Loki said gently, kneeling beside her. Alessia blinked furiously, trying to see him. She forced her eyes to focus on Loki's figure. He smiled reassuringly to her.

"I have to get some wood, love, to make you better," Loki said softly. I won't be gone long, I promise."

 _Wood? Better?_ Alessia's thoughts were scattered. All she could think of was that she didn't want Loki to leave. She was in so much pain that it felt white hot, but her body was shivering cold. She would probably bleed out and die if he left her alone.

"I'll be right back." Loki said. Alessia heard the words and his feet moving on the grass, but they echoed in her head like it wasn't real. This was a dream, it had to be a dream. Footsteps were growing fainter. She was alone.

Alessia had half a thought to take out the phone and call someone. But one twitch of her hands sent piercing daggers of pain through her palms, fingers, even up to her elbow.

"I told you I'm not good for this…" She whispered. She felt like crying, but she was too tired. Her hands hurt so, so much.

"I told you I'm not any good at this." Alessia said. She was standing in Clint's backyard. She was eighteen. She had a raw egg cradled in her hands, a sticky mess.

"I've seen you do it." Clint assured her. "Just before you actually get a flame going, you glow kinda red like your skin is hot."

"Yeah, but-"

"We've made so much progress, don't you want to be able to make the most of your powers?"

"So I can cook eggs?!"

"I don't even like eggs that much."

"Eggs?"

Alessia was laying on the ground. Loki was sitting about two feet away. He was doing something, but had stopped to turn around to look at Alessia.

"Clint. Making me make eggs. I don't even like them. My legs hurt. Do you have any water?"

Loki edged over to Alessia to peer down at her. He felt her forehead with his palm and then put two fingers on her neck for a pulse. Then he squeezed her shoulder and said softly: "We'll get something for you to eat soon, darling. After we fix your cuts. Just give me another moment to start a fire."

Loki moved away again and Alessia looked up to the sky.

It was a whitish grey, because it was overcast, and it was still very early in the morning. A grating, grinding noise filled the air. Alessia squirmed against the grass, trying to feel the ground supporting her body, but she mostly just felt like she was floating.

 _Actually, eggs aren't so bad._ Alessia felt like she was spinning gently from side to side. _Eggs are delicious when they are scrambled. Especially when you have them with pancakes. And syrup kinda gets on the eggs._ The spinning sped up. Alessia felt dizzy. _I'm so hungry._

Alessia sat up, leaned over, and vomited.

There wasn't very much in her stomach, so not much came up. She wiped her mouth on her shoulder because she couldn't use her hands. She shivered. She felt more aware of what was going on now. Loki was lighting a fire with some dry leaves and sticks. The smell of smoke hit her nose. _He got a fire going by rubbing two sticks together? Damn._

Alessia would have crawled over to sit next to him, but she couldn't use the front of her calves. She swallowed, smacking her lips and trying to get the taste of stomach acid out of her mouth.

"I'm an idiot."

Loki turned around. "Are you feeling better?" He asked.

"There's even a saying 'look before you leap.'" Alessia said. "I'm such a fucking idiot."

Loki smiled kindly to her from over his shoulder. "I should have made you come with me. Muspelians don't do well when they haven't eaten, and I know that. This is really my fault."

"Oh, shut up." Alessia said. "I _am_ really hungry, and I think I'm gonna need stitches or something." Loki was carefully adding bigger sticks to the small fire he had made.

"Stitches?" Loki asked.

"Yeah, for the cuts." Alessia said. She risked a quick look at her hands. They were too covered in blood for her to see much, which was actually better for her. Alessia didn't mind seeing blood, but torn up flesh? That was hard to look at.

"No, Alessia, that's what the fire's for." Loki said. He turned around again to give Alessia a confused look. Alessia just blinked at him.

"To heal you. Did.. did you not know that fire heals you?"

Alessia furrowed her brow. "No, but it doesn't." She said. The fire Loki was working on was starting to burn properly. "I had a twisted ankle one time, even after I set my whole body on fire."

"You mean, you used your powers to set yourself aflame?" Loki asked. He had turned back to the fire, adding the biggest logs he had gathered.

"Well, yeah-"

"It doesn't work like that. It has to be a foreign fire. Not one from your own body. Here."

Loki stood up and lifted Alessia again, this time setting her inches away from the fire. He took her forearm gently in his grasp and led her hand into the flames.

The fire felt soothing. The pain in her hand ebbed away. Alessia flexed her fingers. They were still coated in blood, but when she drew her hand back, it seemed to indeed be healed. She immediately stuck her other hand in, and shifted herself to put her lower legs in. Her jeans went up in flames, but the sickening pain in her legs drained away.

Alessia patted the singed denim with her now-healed hands. _Thank god I met him._ Alessia thought. _I would never have known._

"Thank you." Alessia said. Turning her eyes to Loki. "Now, can we try and find some food please?"

* * *

It took them half an hour to walk, but only because Alessia was still lightheaded and woozy from hunger. The first place they arrived was a gas station, but Alessia didn't even care that they didn't really serve food. Alessia wanted to go pick out all the bear claws and funyuns she could carry, but Loki softly said: "Perhaps you should get cleaned up?"

Alessia's hands were still bloody, and her pants were burnt off from the knee down. She grudgingly obeyed his wish, even though upon entering the gas station she looked down to see herself clean and clothes intact.

"Just buy all the snacks. All of them." She said to Loki, heading over to the restrooms. "And water," She called over her shoulder. Loki smiled and bowed his head. Alessia pushed the bathroom door open with her shoulder, and once she was inside, the illusion wore off.

First she had to scrub her hands. She also splashed water on her face and the back of her neck for good measure. Then she wet some paper towels and started cleaning up her legs. That was much harder. Bloody water started leaking into her socks. Once most of the blood and soot was gone she patted them dry. Then she wiped down the bathroom, even more thoroughly than she had her hands. She might be faint and queasy, but she did _not_ need to be leaving a trail of blood in random gas stations.

Alessia was about to return to the gas station to eat whatever Loki had bought, when she remembered: the texts.

She slipped the phone out of her pocket. There were two new texts, the ones she couldn't check from earlier. The first one said: "Whats he like? Is he nice?" And the next one said: "Do I know him?"

It took Alessia a minute to remember what she had last texted. _Right, that I met a guy. What IS Loki like?_

After a moment of consideration, remembering that she had no idea who she was talking to, she punched in a reply. It said: "I think you probs know him, but youve def heard of him. nICE is one way to describe him. He's like doctor who :P"

 _There._ Alessia thought. _Simple. Frost giant, Alien, British accent. Perfect._

When Alessia left the bathroom, Loki was already at the checkout. Alessia let out a snort.

"Oh, _Jesus,_ I didn't mean _literally."_

The poor cashier was dolefully scanning the mountain of snackfoods Loki had collected. Alessia joined him at the register. "You can go ahead and stop," She said. The woman listlessly dropped her hands. Alessia giggled as Loki artfully gave the cashier the forty dollars and some odd cents the bill had come to. She almost couldn't resist tearing into the little debbies, which sat on the top of the pile, but Alessia made herself wait until she and Loki had exited the gas station to stuff her face.

"You know, we can go to a real restaurant." Loki said. Alessia was sitting on the pavement, back leaned against the bricks of the gas station they had just left. The clouds overhead had grown dark, and threatened rain. She knew she was eating embarrassingly fast and that it was all junk, but it tasted _so good._ She chugged water and threw the wrappers on the ground and pulled the next item out.

"You bet your ass we are," She said through a mouth of cheetos. "You're gonna take me somewhere with pancakes and eggs."

"I thought- oh nevermind." Loki said with a sigh, sitting beside Alessia. He pulled a packed of teddy grahams from the bag. "May I?"


	14. Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

"Woah, Captain America wants my help?"

"Yeah, if you're up for it,"

"Am I?! Dude, this is so cool. What are we gonna be up against?! Aliens? A shadow organization? What do you need me to do?"

"We're going to break into a high security prison, and release a dangerous prisoner." Clint answered.

"Well, you came to the right guy. Breaking into places is kinda my thing."

Scott was already stuffing his suit into a duffel bag.

"Don't you… I mean, aren't you curious as to why we're going to break a dangerous assassin out of prison?" Steve asked.

"Um, you're Captain America, it's probably for a good reason, right?"

Clint grinned at Steve. _Pretty convenient being THE Captain America ._ He seemed to say.

Steve smiled back uncomfortably. It _was_ convenient that his judgment was trusted so completely, even by strangers. It also made Steve uneasy. It gave him the overwhelming responsibility to always do the right thing.

* * *

"ROGER that ;)"

Alessia checked the phone under the table and read the text. Loki was sitting across from her, devouring the pancakes and bacon he'd ordered, and didn't notice Alessia taking the phone out of her pocket.

Outside the diner, icy rain was plummeting from the sky. It was so overcast it almost looked like nighttime. Alessia was wearing the black corduroy pants and grey turtleneck from the thrift store she and Loki had stopped at after the gas station. She was eating hash browns and eggs and sausage and drinking coffee in the booth of the diner.

The atmosphere was comfortable. It felt cozy. The smell of breakfast food and the sound of rain tempted Alessia's senses, produced a nostalgic feeling of contentment, of safety. It contrasted with what Alessia knew she should be feeling. But as much as she tried to remind herself that she couldn't trust Loki and that danger was lurking around every corner, she just didn't feel it in her gut.

"Thank you, for earlier." Alessia said.

"Don't mention it," Loki said. He smiled at her, seemed sincere.

 _Don't trust him._ She tried to tell herself. _He's probably planning to trade you with the aliens or something._ Her rational mind said. Alessia smiled back at him. _But at least he's good company..._

* * *

"Uh, excuse me," Wanda knocked on the open door. Everyone had dispersed after the meeting in Tony's living room. Wanda had been loitering in the kitchenette trying to talk herself out of being nervous for almost ten minutes, and she still felt kind of sick.

"Yeah?" Jane turned around and smiled kindly at the younger woman. Thor dropped the hand that had been resting around Jane's shoulders. The two of them had apparently been admiring the view of the city that Tony's den offered.

"I um, didn't mean to interrupt." Wanda said, already kicking herself for barging in.

"Oh, no, you're not" Jane assured her.

"What is it?" Thor asked. He didn't seem annoyed with her. _Just say it and get it over with._ Wanda told herself.

"I-uh-I wanted to…" She was trying very hard to look Thor in the eye while she spoke, but she just couldn't seem to keep it up for very long. She was twisting one of her rings around and around her finger without even realizing it. "Well, I just never got the chance-ah, to apologize, for um," _For giving you visions of your worst fears._ She couldn't say it.

"Thank you." Thor said. He wasn't mad- in fact he smiled kindly at her. "Be at ease; all is forgiven. You acted as you thought was right." Wanda felt a huge wave of relief wash over her. She smiled and made a small nervous laugh before she said: "Thanks… ah that was all."

Jane was still standing beside Thor, puzzled, glancing from Thor to Wanda looking for context for the exchange she was watching. Wanda backed out of the doorway quickly, before she had a chance to make herself feel more awkward.

* * *

"Where have you been?!" Tony exclaimed. "I've been trying to call you. Did you get my texts? It turns out Thor was right about the aliens thing."

"Yeah, I saw that," Natasha replied. She had just walked into Tony's workshop, still wet from the rain outside. "So what's the plan? Do we know what they're going to do?"

"Well, these are the same guys that kidnapped Pepper and the rest of them, and they wanted us to disable our weapons. I'm hoping that means they're going to bring the fight directly to us. The best we can hope for is to be prepared when they do."

"That's all?" Natasha asked. "What does Thor think? How are we going to fight them? Have you been able to get in touch with Bruce?"

"I've tried everything I can think of to find Bruce," Tony replied. "And I'm working on fireproof gear for everyone. Other than that I don't know what to do. According to Thor, they're called Muspelians, and besides being pyros, they're not too different from Asgardians."

"About that," Natasha said. "I was thinking. Doesn't that sound… I mean, doesn't Alessia fit that description?"

Tony was sitting in front of his chemistry set, dipping strips of cloth into different vials of liquid. A few strips were draped over a rack to dry. "I don't know," He said. "I thought she might be one of Killian's creations. Clint never said anything about her being extra strong though, so wouldn't that rule both out?" He picked up one of the pieces of fabric from the rack and lit it with a lighter. The material didn't flame up, but the edges sparked and a greenish smoke swirled off of it.

"Just a thought I had…" Natasha said. "Maybe we should ask Thor about it, could be Muspelian females aren't strong like the males."

"Hmm" Tony had moved onto another piece of fabric. Instead of burning, it melted rapidly, causing him to drop it onto the desk. "Ouch. Yeah, we might as well, but I don't know if it will help at all, since we can't even find her."

Natasha had just opened her mouth to speak, when Friday's voice broke into the conversation.

"Excuse the interruption Mr. Stark, but it appears that there has been a security breach in the secure holding division."

* * *

Doctor Benson had only been on break for five minutes when the alarm went off. He was confused when his assistant skittered into the break room, seconds after the alarm sounded. The young man shut the door frantically behind him, locking it with shaking hands and turning to face the room, his face a visibly paler than usual.

"Whats going on?" Doctor Benson asked.

His assistant shook his head. "A guy… he just.. He just _appeared."_

"What, did he have a gun?" Doctor Benson asked, trying to make sense of the younger man's panic.

"Nonono. You don't get it." His assistant said. "He _appeared._ sprang up out of thin air. I don't know _how…_ but… that's what I saw."

* * *

Steve had the van idling in the narrow alleyway two blocks from stark tower. Clint and Scott had only been gone for about twenty minutes, and already a few armored, yet unmarked cars had driven past the opening of the alley. He tensed slightly behind the wheel. They had tripped the alarm system.

Steve hated being in the getaway car, but had agreed that Clint and Scott were better choices for maneuvering covertly through a security system. It looks like that hadn't mattered anyway. All Steve could do now was sit and wait and hope that everything was going okay.

He didn't have to wait too much longer after the cars passed. Clint and Sam appeared around the corner, walking calmly and casually toward the van. Somehow they'd managed to walk right past security. _That means that Scott and Bucky are the one's who set off security._ He thought, the knot in his stomach that had relaxed slightly tightening right back up.

"They're still not back I see," Clint said, opening the back of the van.

"No." Steve replied.

"I'm sure they're fine," Sam said, climbing in the back of the van. "Tiny dude knows what he's about."

"Hey, where's um.." Steve paused, searching his memory "Alissa?" Steve asked.

"Alessia," Clint corrected, turning to lean his back on the van and watch the alleyway.

"I don't know." Sam said. He was looking down.

"Well, maybe that's why it's taking Scott so long," Steve said. "He and Bucky are probably looki-"

"No- she's not here." Sam interrupted. "She wasn't with me and Bucky when we were captured. They don't know where she is."

Clint was still staring out at the alley. Steve glanced his way, then back at Sam. "Well, what happened to her?"

"Here they are," Clint said suddenly. Steve jerked his neck forward, searching the street ahead for Scott and Bucky. Instead a loud metal clank rang from the somewhere high up, and Steve turned to see Bucky and Scott dropping from the fire escape. Clint was already stepping into the passenger side, and Bucky and Scott were climbing into the back with Sam. Steve pulled the gear shift into drive, and the van lurched into motion.

* * *

Alessia was supposed to be listening to Loki's plan, but she had tuned out after only a few words. They were waiting at a bus stop, because Alessia had said that she didn't want to steal another car. They had generously been given a ride to it by a sweet young couple at the diner who had overheard them saying they had no transportation. Alessia was pretty sure they had heard the bit about Loki wanting to steal a car, too, because the woman of the couple had managed to grab her for a word after Loki had gotten into their car and before Alessia had followed him.

"He's not hurting you, is he?" She'd asked. "Making you do things you don't want?"

Alessia had laughed. "Don't worry about me," She'd said. The woman had only seemed more worried. She asked Alessia her age next, and didn't seem to believe her when she answered twenty.

"You look a lot younger than that," She had said.

Alessia had just laughed again. She'd shaken off the woman's gentle hand on her shoulder and climbed into the back of the car with Loki, somehow feeling anxious. Was it because the woman had obviously thought Loki was taking advantage of her? Was it because Alessia knew that he probably _was_ taking advantage of her? Of course, not the way that the woman might have thought, but Alessia was more or less completely at Loki's mercy. And being reminded of that made her feel helpless and full of doubt.

Now they sat at the bus stop, sheltered under the filthy plastic awning from the grey rain that was pelting down. Having eaten, Alessia was indifferent to the cold, and being a frost Giant, Loki was quite comfortable. It meant that neither of them were dressed warmly, despite the fact that passersby were wrapped in raincoats, shivering against the frigid wind and rain. It didn't exactly help them go unnoticed.

"... and since the field soldiers have done such a sloppy job looking for you so far, I don't think we'll have to worry about running into them accidentally. They'll probably burn down another three neighborhoods before they try a different tactic, so we'll have some time to get to their-"

"Burn through a neighborhood?" Alessia cut him off. "What?"

But before he explained himself, she remembered. When she, Bucky and Sam had stayed in the motel, that was what was on the news. "You mean, people's houses are being burned down because of me?" A fragment surfaced in her memory, delivered in the unemotional speech that newscasters used _... death toll … thirty-seven victims…_

"People are _dead_ because of me?"

"No, Darling you mustn't think that way." Loki said. Alessia had stood up, stomach churning. She felt Loki's cold, smooth fingers reach up to take her hand. "This isn't your fault; none of this is your doing."

She felt her phone buzz again. Angrily ripping her hand from Loki's grasp and plunging it into her pocket, she tore it out. It was the notification saying the battery was finally low.

"Where did you get that?" Loki asked, surprised. But Alessia didn't say anything. She had lifted the phone, poised to throw it as hard as she could against the sidewalk. Her eyes were watering. _eighteen of which children_ the newscaster voice said. _Children._

The phone buzzed again and she let is slip out of her hand, not throwing it, merely dropping it, and falling to her knees beside it, hands covering her face now.

 _Children are dead because of you._

She was crying, and she knew she was making a scene, but she couldn't help it.

 _eighteen children. Plus however many adults that is now. Dead. gone forever because of you._

Loki was trying to pull her up, being insufferably gentle, putting his hands on her shoulders, saying sweet comforting words to her. "Come now pet, don't cry. You mustn't blame yourself for this, love."

She swatted one of his hands away before she could stop herself. So far she had tried to play along with his intimate, if strangely forced, touches and words. She didn't want to offend him and then be stuck with him. She wanted him to believe she trusted him completely. But did he have to touch her so softly?

Undeterred, Loki merely joined her on the ground, restricting his touch to her hands.

"Please don't cry dearest, please don't be sad. This isn't your fault. Don't be sad."

"L-loki," She choked out, grasping his hands tightly, glad to be holding someone's hands, sad that she couldn't trust the person to whom they belonged. "Loki, stop trying to make me feel better."

Loki didn't say anything else, but he kept his hands clasping hers.

"If that's what's happening," Alessia said. "If people are dying because they're looking for me…" She looked up to Loki's face. "Then I have to give them what they want."


	15. Chapter Fourteen

Chapter fourteen

"A _Lead?"_ Tony repeated. "How long have you had a _lead?"_

"How long have you had tracking devices on your friend's gear?" Natasha retorted.

Tony sighed. It was only a matter of time before someone confronted him about that.

"Since Banner went Awol." he answered. "Look, it was never meant to be a way to… to keep _tabs_ on you guys. I never thought it would come to that… I didn't want to… lose track of you. Any of you. In case someone was lost, in trouble. Something I should have done when Bruce was still here."

Natasha uncrossed her arms, and inhaled slowly. She had been harbouring a deep anger and distrust of Tony ever since she had found out he had been tracking each of his teammates. But now, after hearing this explanation… She couldn't be mad. What had seemed like a superior act of someone trying to micro-manage his teammates, was actually Tony's weird way of trying to take care of his friends.

"You could have told us." She said.

"You're right." He admitted.

They were in an empty hallway leading off of the lobby of Stark tower. Sam's rooms were empty, and the guards utterly confused. Natasha recognized Clint's seamless handiwork from their report. Bucky had was gone as well, but nobody was quite sure how. After interviewing the rambling lab assistant, and two of the guards who had been witness, all they knew was that it was someone in a red-and-black body suit. From there the stories differed. The assistant said that the man had teleported. One guard was explaining desperately that they needed more heat-sensitive security, because the man was clearly in possession of some kind invisibility technology. The other guard insisted that the man hadn't appeared like he was teleporting or becoming visible, but more like he was shooting up from being very small.

"So, you wanna explain to me how you know where Steve is?" Tony prompted. Natasha roused herself.

"Well, I don't know _where_ he is." She said, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket. "But I think Alessia is with him," She was unlocking the intricate passcode on her phone.

"Wait.. why do you think that?" Tony asked blankly, curiosity peaked.

"Because I've been texting her."

" _Texting?"_ Tony repeated. "She has a _phone_ with her?"

"I found her on some security footage at the mall nearby where Sam and Barnes were found." Natasha said, now opening the screen with her and Alessia's conversation. "She had bought a phone there. Then I hacked into the phone seller's database to find all the phones they sold that day and their numbers. I texted all of them something simple, something that could be brushed off as a wrong number, but would make sense to Al. Out of the five, four of them called me out, asking who I was and how I got their number. I think the other one is her."

She handed her phone to Tony. His eyes lingered on her face for a moment, his expression conveying how utterly impressed he was. He turned his attention to the phone.

"What makes you think she's with Steve though?" He asked when he had read all of them. "She said she's with someone 'like doctor who.'"

"I think you probs know him, but youve def heard of him. nICE is one way to describe him. He's like doctor who :P." Natasha read the text over Tony's shoulder.

"Ice, time travel, someone who we've definitely heard of." She listed off. " I can't think of anyone else but Steve."

Tony hummed doubtfully.

"Steve even has the same hair-cut as Eleven." Natasha said, irritated that Tony didn't believe her. "Who else could she mean?"

"Doctor Who is about aliens." Tony said, slowly. Natasha scoffed.

"Since when are you a doctor who fan?" She asked.

"An alien… who we've all heard of." Tony said, thinking aloud. "…But Thor is _here._ " Then Alessia's other clue struck him.

" _Ice._ shit, Nat."

Tony looked up at Natasha, whose eyes had widened, and skin had whitened with the realization.

"Shit." She whispered.

* * *

"Alessia, please, think this through."

"You're not going to stop me."

Alessia was walking along the side of the road, ignoring the pelting rain and the splash of puddles kicked up as cars drove past. Loki was walking alongside her, shouting his entreaties over the sound of the rainfall.

"Darling, you won't accomplish anything with this."

"Fuck you." She spat back. She glared at him. "You _knew_. You fucking _knew_ people were dying because they're looking for me. You would have just let that keep happening. Fuck you."

Alessia turned to face the road. She stuck her thumb out, hoping to flag down the oncoming car.

"It's not so simple," Loki said through his teeth, each word enunciated sharply, like he was trying hard not to sound irritated even though he was.

"This is bigger than a few Midgardians lives. Muspelheim has a population of over eleven billion. You can't turn your back on an entire planet."

The car Alessia hailed came to a stop.

"Fuck you, Loki." Alessia whispered. The driver was motioning her into the back. She stepped into the car, closing the door behind her.

"He's not with me," She said urgently to the driver of the car, a man with a long, gray ponytail. Loki was walking around to get in on the other side.

"He's not?" The man asked, concerned.

"Please just drive." Alessia said. "Just drive."

* * *

"Why does it matter if she answers?" Natasha was rubbing her palms together nervously. Her hands were getting clammy, and she was losing her patience.

"Because otherwise, I have to hack into the phone database and find the phone's gps number, and track down the last spot that number was active and _hope_ she's close to there." Tony said, hitting redial for the third time in a row.

"Well, why don't you just do that?" Natasha snapped. "She's not picking up the phone. Clint Probably told her that's how you track someone's position."

" _Everyone_ knows that. It's in like, every cop movie. You know what Clint should have told her? Not to run off with _literal supervillians._ " Tony switched from the redial screen and opened a new window to start tracking the phone.

* * *

Alessia stepped out of the car, her stomach writhing uncomfortably.

"Are you sure this place is safe?" The man with the gray ponytail asked her. He was looking dubiously past Alessia at the location she had chosen. The abandoned factory where she had fallen on razor wire.

"Don't worry about that." She said. She dug the dead phone out of her pocket. "I'm going to get my mom to come get me here. I just needed to shake that guy. Thanks for helping me."

The lie had fallen out of her mouth as easily as if it were the truth.

"Should I stay? I mean, until your mom gets here?"

"I don't think you should. I mean, I'm already going to be in trouble for skipping school, I'd be grounded for _life_ if she knew I was hitchhiking." Alessia stepped back and waved the guy on. "Thanks again for helping me."

The man didn't seem to want to leave. Alessia knew he was trying to be nice and make sure she was safe, but she wasn't actually a sixteen year old who was getting out of an abusive relationship with a thirty-year old. That had just been the first thing that popped into her head when she got in the car. She'd gotten the idea from the woman at the diner earlier.

"Okay." The man said reluctantly. "But, please be careful. The world has some real creeps in it."

 _Understatement of the century._ Alessia thought. She smiled and waved as the man drove away. Once the car had disappeared around the turn of the highway, Alessia turned to view the lot. There was one building that was much older, and more worn down that the other four. She started heading towards it, rain pelting down around her.

* * *

 _Why won't anyone stop for me?_ Loki thought vehemently. It had been so easy for Alessia to flag down a vehicle. _But that of course someone stopped for her._ He thought. _She's a beautiful young woman. She commands immediate trust._ A passing vehicle sprayed Loki with muddy water as it passed. _How could I not have realized she would react so strongly? She wants to play martyr for a few dozen mortals. Can't she understand that there is a greater cause here? She could reign supreme in Muspelheim, she is the RIGHTFUL HEIR. She's going to get herself killed because I didn't have the tact to know she would care about human life._

Loki tried to flag down another car. It sped past him. He sighed and closed his eyes. He pictured Raisa, his old chambermaid. Long red hair and small, upturned nose. A ticklish, tingling filled his being. When he opened his eyes, the hands he looked at were slender, pale, and freckled. He waved to another passing car, and this one slowed to a stop.

* * *

Alessia kicked the door of the building open. It banged on the wall and bounced back a little as she walked in. The inside of the building was dark and grimy. Rain pounded loudly on the roof, was almost deafening. Alessia held her hands out in front of her, watched as fire plumed from her palms. She turned and dragged her blazing hands across the wall.

The fire spread easily across the wall. Alessia ran her hands up and down it, like she was painting a hot, bright picture. Giddy, she ran to the other side of the door, and dragged her hands across that one, too.

Alessia felt tremendous energy rushing through her as she watched the flames eating away at the building. The fire within her had been _starved._ She wasn't going to let it go unfed this long _ever again._ The rush was like a high, and it wasn't just because she was letting her powers come flooding out of her. It was because, for the first time in her life, she was _free._ There was no limit, no worry that the fire would spread too far. The fire was crawling across the factory floor like an extension of her being. The flames danced up the walls, devoured old rusted barrels, the dry rotted scaffolding, the peeling linoleum tiles. The flames licked the ceiling, catching the second floor. It was the biggest fire she had ever set, and she felt like she could _taste_ the building. She had a very real sense that this inferno _belonged_ to her.

* * *

"Are you sure it's safe having someone like him in the house Dad?"

"Shh. You're being rude. Of course it is."

"It's just, I was reading the files that Romanov leaked a while back and-"

"Hope, he's our guest."

Hank and Hope Pym were standing in the kitchen of Hank's upstate new york townhouse. Hope was peering into the living room from the door, plucking at the neck of her blouse. Scott had shown up two hours ago bringing with him three avengers and one highly deadly soviet hitman. He didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with that. Neither did Hank. So now Hope was biting her lip and pretending not to be worried either. This really wasn't how she had pictured spending her afternoon.

In the living room, Sam was cradling the T.V remote and flipping between the news channels every few minutes. Steve was sitting on the couch between Scott and Bucky. Clint was holed up in the upstairs guest room with the phone and Hank's laptop. Scott was sitting in the armchair by the couch pestering Bucky.

"Is it, like, magnetic?"

"No."

"What happened to that spot on the shoulder?"

"I filed off some paint there."

"What's the heaviest thing you've ever picked up with it?"

"I'm not really sure."

"Does it rust?"

"No."

"What's it made of?"

"Vibranium alloy."

"What happens if it gets wet?"

"Nothing."

"Can you feel with it?"

"Sort of."

"Is it removable?"

"No."

"Can you like, bend the joints backwards? Or rotate it?"

"Shhhh!" Sam had landed on a story and was cranking the volume up.

"...despite the rain, the fire has quickly spread to the entire building. There is some speculation that the fire could have been started spontaneously, since the building was previously used to store some hazardous materials. It seems unlikely that this could be another in the ongoing arson attacks, since the area in question is uninhabited, which is inconsistent with the pattern."

"Is that the fish factory?" Scott interjected.

"You know it?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, its only like twenty minutes away, it's right by the railroad. I stopped some kids from tagging it last month."

"Tagging?" Bucky asked.

"Yeah, like graffiti."

Sam, Steve, and Bucky all stared at Scott.

"What? I don't have a crime app to tell me where to go." Scott said defensively.

Sam and Steve exchanged a look. Bucky smirked.

"So- so we should go there, right? It's probably that girl? Right? Someone should get Haw-Clint, right? I'll do it." Scott sputtered. He stood and removed himself before anyone could respond.

* * *

Alessia only reluctantly left the building. It was consumed in flames. _Her_ flames. But the building's structure was weakening, and pieces of the ceiling were raining down. She stumbled out the back door and turned to look back at the fire. It was just as big as it had felt when she was inside. Smoke was flooding the sky, violent and gray. swirling against the off-white of the rainclouds.

Alessia's body was hot. Rain was falling in sheets, but she didn't feel anything but the soft rise of steam around her. Her breathing started to slow, and she felt her eyelids slip closed. She forced them back open and fisted her hands. _I will not fall asleep._ She told herself fiercely. _I need to be awake for this._

"It's you."

Alessia turned to look at the speaker. He was standing a few yards away from the building. He was watching her, must have seen her step out of the fire. He was unnaturally tall, at least a head taller than Steve was. His clothes were a strange mixture of wrapped fabric and metal. Two sharp, black horns protruded from his head, amidst his dark mess of curls. His eyes flashed to the red stone around Alessia's neck when she turned to face him. The rain didn't touch him, either, instead a ghostly aura of steam surrounded him.

"It's me." She said.

He reached his arm behind his shoulder and drew a sword out of the sheath on his back. "Sinrutha," He spoke the name reverently. "I've waited a long time for this."

* * *

The drive was actually only ten minutes if taken at twice the speed limit, which was the speed Steve was going. The van came to a halt on the gravel lot. The back door slid open the moment the wheels had stopped turning, but even before that the passenger's door had swung open and the occupant had jumped out and into the rain.

"Ally!" Clint cupped his hands at his mouth as he shouted. He had ran ahead of the others and was looking helplessly at the flaming building, trying to figure out a safe point of entry.

"Alessia, are you in there?" He called again. He was pacing, his eyes glued to the flames. "Ally! It's me, Clint! Alessia, can you hear me?"

Sam, Scott, and Bucky had wordlessly spread out to look amid the ruins of the factory. Steve joined Clint at the burning building, circling it, looking for an indication that Alessia was still inside. Something inside the building made a loud crashing sound, and Steve jumped back. Part of the wall visibly fell in. _She might be fireproof, but that doesn't mean she's okay in there._ He thought.

Sam banged open the door to the largest building.

"Alessia?!" He yelled into it. "It's Sam. Alessia are you in here?"

The broken windows let in a little light from outside and Sam was able to glance around. Beer bottles and a mildewed old mattress were thrown on the floor alongside the rusted barrels from the days the building had served as a factory. Something bright red on the wall caught his eye- spray paint. But no Alessia.

Bucky had taken the building farthest from the fire. He kicked the door in and stepped in cautiously. It was falling apart inside, barely had enough of a roof to keep the rain out.

"Alessia?" He called. The building was dark and he didn't have a flashlight. "Alessia, you aren't in here, are you?"

Something-probably glass- crunched under his boot when he stepped in. "Alessia?" He called again. "Come on, it's not safe in here."

"I FOUND HER! GUYS, SHE'S OVER HERE!" Scott's voice rang out.

Bucky turned and sprinted out. Scott's voice had come approximately from the building closest to the one that was burning. Bucky's heart was hammering as he rounded the building, following Clint, Steve, and Sam. _She's okay though, right? Oh god, let her be okay..._

"Um, who the hell are you?"

"I'm Antman."

Alessia was standing, perfectly safe, perfectly unhurt, with crossed arms and eyebrow cocked, eyeing Scott skeptically. Next to her, a man was standing up from a kneeling position, pulling a sword out of the ground in front of him. Bucky felt relief rush through him even as he appraised the man with the sword. He was well over six feet, with bull-like horns growing from his head.

"Do you know these men?" the horned man asked Alessia, stance wary. She didn't respond, however, because her face had split into a huge grin when she caught sight of the rest of them.

"Hey! You guys are okay!" She said. She was looking from Sam to Bucky. "I was _worried_ ab-" Clint cut her off by pulling her into a hug.

"Ally, oh my god." He said. Then he released her and looked at the man with the sword. When Alessia had smiled at them, the horned man had relaxed from his battle stance, and was returning the sword to the scabbard on his back.

"Uh, so I guess you made a friend?" Clint asked.

"Right, sorry, this is Reemum...-uh... Ree.. um-" Alessia glanced at the man and offered him an awkward smile.

"I am Reemanaskel Sumnayth." He announced proudly. "I am a tenth generation soldier of the Muspelian crown, and I am honored to be acquainted with the friends of my Queen." and he made a reserved bow to the five of them.

"What the fuck?" Bucky was lost. He pushed his rain slicked hair off of his face and looked over at Sam. Sam met his gaze, his look mirroring how Bucky felt. _What. The. Fuck._


	16. Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

"Are they your soldiers?" Reemanaskel Sumnayth, tenth generation soldier of the Muspelian crown asked Alessia.

"What? No." Alessia laughed. "Of course not."

"But then who will fight? You set this fire as a signal to Surmayath, did you not?"

"Oh." Alessia's look suddenly changed. "Yeah. yeah actually, you guys need to leave." She was addressing the group, but wouldn't raise her gaze to meet anyone's eyes.

"Um, _why?"_ Sam demanded. " _Who_ are you signaling? What the _hell_ is going on?"

"We're not going to leave you here." Clint said firmly.

Alessia was staring at the gravel, rubbing one of her elbows with the opposite hand. "I'm sorry, but it's too dangerous... and I-I have to do this." Alessia said.

An icy, uncomfortable sensation filled Bucky's stomach. Something about the way she said it reminded him of Steve-Steve when he was about to do something dumb and risky.

"' _Too dangerous'_?" Bucky repeated. "' _Too dangerous'?!"_ Alessia wouldn't look at him, and the ice in his stomach evaporated, boiling into an frothy hot feeling that spread viciously up his chest.

"Alessia, don't be an idiot, if something is too dangerous for _all_ of us, _what do you think you can do about it all by yourself?!_ " Bucky said fiercely. _Leave her alone for two days and she's got someone calling her queen and she's setting signal fires. What the hell happened when we lost her?_

"Don't tell me what to do!" She snapped. "You have no idea what's going on or what's at stake, so don't tell me I'm being an idiot. This has nothing to do with you-any of you- so you might as well leave."

"Ally," Clint said softly. "We aren't going to leave you, we're your friends and-"

"Friends?" She asked. " _Friends?"_ she repeated, her voice tinged with an edge of hysteria "You _lied_ to me- I thought you were an F.B.I agent or something. You could have told me- I got kidnapped because they thought I was your daughter. And _You two_ " her eyes flashed at Bucky then at Sam. "left me all by myself. Do you know what happened to me when you guys didn't come back?" She demanded, stepping closer. Her gaze flicked between Sam and Bucky, their faces set with guilt. "Do you have any _idea_ what I ended up doing when you guys _left_ me?"

* * *

Loki stepped out of the car, still wearing Raisa's likeness as he turned to survey the mess. _Surmayath's men haven't gotten here yet._ He let out a relieved sigh. _I might be able to get her out of here yet._

"Um, I really don't feel right leaving you here." Loki glanced backwards. _That pathetic Midguardian driver is still here?_

" _Leave."_ He said, using his own, deep male voice to speak the word. He glared icily back, contorting the mask of Raisa's face into something horrible. The driver sped away.

Loki turned back to face the burning factory building. He started a brisk stride towards it when he noticed a van parked a few meters away. He slowed his stride, wary. His eyes flickered from building to building, and he left the image of Raisa glimmering around him. As he walked past the burning building, peering hopefully inside, he cast a wary look back over his shoulder-and was immediately glad that he did, because he caught sight of a small group of people standing behind one of the other buildings. He swiftly threw an invisibility charm up around himself.

It only took him a moment to identify the figures- well most of them. Enough to know that Alessia had found a Muspelian soldier and about a half dozen of his brother's friends. Barton and Rogers were with her. If only they weren't, he might have a chance of convincing them to listen to him. Hopefully one of their number would grasp the situation and do the smart thing and leave.

* * *

The location the phone had revealed was a gas station. However Tony and Natasha had barely buckled into one of Tony's many sports cars before a pillar of smoke appeared in the sky, streaming from a building not far from their destination. Tony wordlessly changed their course, but Natasha noticed he looked less confident as they sped down the freeway, the smell of burning rubber seeping into the car despite the closed windows.

"You're starting to think we should have called backup." Natasha said. It wasn't a question.

Before they had left Natasha had suggested they bring Rhodes, Vision, Wanda or Thor with them, but Tony had declined. "You said you know Alessia, right?" He had asked, grabbing a rectangle of metal that looked like a briefcase, but which Natasha knew was actually one of Tony's suits. "She's probably really scared and confused and I don't think bringing the whole team to pick her up is going to make her feel any better. Besides, I think the two of us can take a scepter-less Loki."

Now, staring over the steering wheel towards the abandoned factory complex, Tony chewed the inside of his cheek and had to admit he would have felt more confident with an additional teammate or two. However, when he pulled into the gravel lot, bumping over the train tracks that cut across it, he noticed a large white van, doors still hanging open where it had been abandoned a few yards away from the flaming building.

Natasha, however, noticed something else.

"Who's that?' She asked, pointing at the girl she had seen, dashing towards one of the buildings.

"Where?" Tony asked, taking his eyes from the car to follow Natasha's finger. "I don't see any one. Was it Alessia?" He asked, removing his seatbelt and leaving the car. Natasha followed him out, her brow knit together.

"It was a redhead." She said, staring at the spot she had pointed out. "But she disappeared."

* * *

"My lady," Reemanaskel said timidly. "I hate to question your judgement, especially so soon after the honour of meeting you, but I do wonder if your friends have a point."

Alessia turned a fierce gaze at the warrior, who shuffled uncomfortably under her stare. "It's just that I fail to see a strategy in which you are victorious." He said, glancing from Alessia to her newly assembled comrades.

"Victorious against who, exactly?" Steve asked him.

"Surmayath Sayr, conqueror of Surt Sayr, Father of Sinrutha Sayr, rightful queen of Muspelheim." Reemanaskel answered in a strong, practiced voice, and once again bowed his head to Alessia.

"Thats me." Alessia added.

A silence followed this remark as everyone absorbed the information. Rain continued to patter down on the group, while everyone but Alessia- or Sinrutha- and Reemanaskel grew wetter and colder.

"You're a queen? That's ...so cool!" Scott was the first to break the silence.

"But." Bucky was at a loss of words. "But." He said again. Once more he glanced at Sam, who once more seemed just as lost as him. But when he looked at Steve a different look was written on his face.

"Muspelheim…" Steve whispered. "It sounds Norse. Does that mean what I think it means?"

Whatever Steve had thought it meant, however, would have to wait, because at that moment, the ground beneath their feet shook. The sudden jolt caused Alessia, Steve, Sam, and Scott to lose their footing and fall to the ground. Bucky tensed, his balance almost compromised, but stayed on his feet. The shaking stopped as abruptly as it started, but the air seemed different somehow. Clint pulled Sam up while Reemanaskel offered his hand to his queen, who declined, and stood upright on her own along with Steve and Scott.

"I do surely hope you have a plan, my lady." Reemanaskel said, his voice grim. "Because your uncle has arrived."

* * *

Tony fell face first onto the gravel, and was pulled upright by Natasha a moment later.

"Earthquake?" She asked him, though her tone made it clear how much she doubted it.

"Do you smell something?" Tony asked.

"It kinda smells metallic, or like…"

"It's chemical…"

"The fire?" Natasha suggested.

Tony glanced around warily. Had the smoke blown down? It seemed a mist hung in the air that hadn't been there before. It could have been his imagination but…

"Over here," Natasha said suddenly, grabbing Tony by the arm and dragging him into the nearest building. She lead him to the nearest window and pulled tugged him down so that they both crouched on their haunches. Tony peered out the broken glass time to see a mass of tall, horned figures shimmering transparent against the building in front of them.

"Nat, I think you were right," He said, watching as the figures slowly became solid before their eyes. "We should have brought backup."

* * *

The Muspelian battalion was made up of around a hundred men, and assembled between the spot where Natasha and Tony had stood, and where Loki hid behind his invisibility charm. Loki recognized the commander right away, none other than Surmayath himself.

Surmayath was tall, standing well over six feet, just as Reemanaskel and the rest of the Muspelian warriors. His square face had a fierce, angry look about it, with a heavy brow, and a thick black beard obscuring the lower half. Two horns curled from his head, and a glossy black ponytail lay down his back. His whole body was wide and thick with knotted muscles that rippled like swollen nodules under his skin. His men were all uniformed identically, in deep red wrap fabric and gold-colored armour, similar to Reemanaskel's, but Surmayath wore a black garment with no armour, that left his arms exposed. From a belt at his waist hung a hefty broadsword, at least four feet long in its battered sheath.

For a moment the commander stood surveying the layout, his eyes landed on Alessia and glossed over the other six others who stood with her. He said something to the man who stood next to him, and the man replied back. Loki watched anxiously from his hiding place as Surmayath broke from his army to approach the small cluster that surrounded Alessia.

As he approached, Reemanaskel put himself purposefully in front of the Queen, drawing his sword and assuming a battle ready position. Subtly, Steve, Clint, Sam and Bucky also adjusted their poses to a fighting stance. Alessia took a step back, looking unsteady and unsure of herself. _I told her that this was a bad idea._ Loki thought gritting his teeth, _But there might be one way to get her out of this._

For a moment of dreadful tension, Surmayath swept a lazy glance over the six men who had positioned themselves in front of Alessia, with an manner that displayed his doubt of their threat. Then he spoke, his eyes suddenly bearing straight into Alessia's.

"I must say I'm confused, Sinrutha." His voice was deep, but cracking, like a piece of metal being dragged over gravel."You seem a little under-prepared." He grinned, an awful, leery smile. "I don't suppose you have anything to say before I give my men their orders?"

Here Reemanaskel gave Alessia a slight backwards glance, maybe hoping that she had some kind of plan, but Alessia said nothing. She had her lips pressed together tightly, and she shook her head from side to side, more like she was denying the situation than saying no.

Surmayath drew his sword. "If you surrender now," He said offhandedly to the group at large "Your deaths will be painless."

Alessia pressed her hands over her mouth and closed her eyes. She seemed to be trying very hard not to cry, or not to scream. The others made no move to indicate their assent.

"As you wish," Surmayath said, and he raised an arm to make a motion with his hand.

"Wait!" Loki lifted his invisibility field. He was standing only a few feet in front of Surmayath, directly between him and Alessia, and halfway between Clint and Sam. His appearance caused most of the group to shift in surprise, and both Steve and Clint actively changed their stance to face him as well.

"Laufeyson," Surmayath said, "I didn't know I had the honour of destroying two dethroned sovereigns today." He smirked.

"She wants to enact Malngang." Loki said breathlessly.

Surmayath paused, obviously in deep contemplation. Alessia was still holding her hands over her mouth and looking like she was doing all she could to keep from crying. Steve, Sam, Clint and Scott were anxiously looking from Loki to Surmayath, but Bucky noticed Reemanaskel's reaction. He had relaxed at the word 'Malngang' and seemed to regard Loki with no ill will.

"She has to say it herself to for it to be effectual," Surmayath said after a moment.

"Say it," Loki snapped at once, turning back to Alessia, looking her in the face for the first time since she had run into the highway. Her nose and eyes were red with suppressed tears. He felt a pang of hurt seeing her so scared, but quickly shoved it away. "Say that you challenge him to Malngang."

She hesitated for a moment and so Loki hissed "It means you don't have to watch him massacre your friends."

"I challenge you to Malngang." She said at once.

"Fine," Surmayath said, sounding bored. "When?"

"A year from now?" Loki offered.

"Three days." Surmayath countered.

"Six months." Loki said.

"One week."

"Thirty days."

"Fine," Surmayath agreed. He made a motion to his army with his hand and the strange static filled the air again. "I will send a man to negotiate the location and audience with you in one week." behind him the army was slowly fading to transparent. "Until then," He glanced at Alessia and gave her a leery smile. "You look awfully like your mother, Sinrutha. I killed her too. Farewell."

He touched something on his belt and he, too, slowly dissolved.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

"Start talking. Now."

Clint had shoved Loki hard in the shoulder to face him. "What did you just do? What is Malngang?"

"It's an ancient Muspelian battle ritual." Loki said. "A traditional way to settle disputes."

"Battle ritual?" Clint growled. He was glaring fiercely at Loki. Alessia had never seen him so angry before. "Are you telling me you just signed Ally up for a fight with that guy?"

"Listen, she stands a greater chance facing him alone than his entire arm-"

Clint reeled back and threw a fist at Loki, landing a hit on his jaw. Loki staggered slightly before recovering.

"I suppose I deserve that," He muttered, wiping a trickle of blood away from the corner of his mouth "But I didn't really have another choice, your little princess here was planning on letting them have her today."

Clint opened his mouth, looking like he was about to say something else to Loki, but Reemanaskel spoke first.

"My lady!" He looked devastated and turned to Alessia. "Is this true? But why?"

Alessia was still standing in the back of the group, covering her mouth and nose with both her hands. She blinked a few times and started shaking her head again.

"They- they-they-" She started, her voice breaking as she tried to speak through the gripping and overwhelming tightness that was pushing her throat and twisting her heart. "They were setting f-fires." She said, managing to swallow the stammer momentarily. "People were dying. So they could find _me."_ She met Clint's eyes for half a second. "I just didn't want to-couldn't not- had to- had to-" She didn't finish. Her hands were shaking and she felt like she could throw up. She was scared to face Surmayath in a fight. All Loki had done by stepping in was give her another month to dread facing Surmayath instead of just getting it over with quickly. She could look forward to being slaughtered by her only living relative for the last few weeks of her pointless goddamn life.

"What are you doing on earth?" Steve was tasking, somewhere outside of the bubble of mounting terror that seemed to be trapping Alessia. "Your brother said you were dead."

"My brother believes many things that are not true," Loki replied evasively.

"Hey, um, hate to be that guy," Scott interrupted awkwardly. "But isn't that Tony Stark?"

It was. Jogging behind Natasha across the misty gravel yard. The rain had finally let up and patches of sunlight were starting to appear here and there across the grey landscape.

Alessia tried to regulate her breathing but she was feeling dizzy. She had been low on energy since she lit the building on fire and now her emotions were starting to get the best of her again. _Pull yourself together Haddock._ She thought, sucking in a deep breath and trying to hold it. _This is Iron man, stop acting like a pussy._ She willed herself to stop shaking. _Just don't think about how you're definitely going to get murdered by that guy in a month. Maybe you'll just kill yourself first. It'll be more painless, anyway. Besides, at least this way Bucky and Clint and everyone else are safe._ She let that thought calm her. _If Loki hadn't shown up, they'd all have died. This way only_ ** _I_** _have to die._

Alessia wiped her eyes on the heel of her palm and finally looked up. For an instant, she met Bucky's eyes, and was surprised to see him glaring at her. She didn't have time to think about it, though, because she was suddenly wrapped in Natasha's firm embrace.

She could hear Steve and Tony speaking, and even though they were only a few feet away from her, their words seemed to melt into garbled nothingness. It didn't seem to matter. How could anything that they said matter to her now? Natasha pulled away from her and looked her in the eyes, arms still around her shoulders, gaze piercing, and whispered: "Are you alright?"

Alessia shrugged and then gave a shaky laugh. "I- I'm… I'm..." She almost said she was fine, but when she blinked two fat tears ran down her cheeks, and she shook her head.

And then Natasha hugged her again, and somehow, it was exactly what Alessia needed. She just held onto Natasha and closed her ears off to the argument that was erupting around her. Just feeling someone else's body heat, heart beat, lungs filling and emptying with air, it made her feel calm. She pulled away only because she heard Tony saying "...not to mention that dog isn't house trained, and I'm not even sure she's had her shots-"

"Buttercup?" Alessia asked, suddenly jumping in. Everyone stopped talking to look at her. "Are you talking about Buttercup?" Her voice was thick from her stuffy nose, and she wiped at her cheeks again with the back of her hand.

"The dog we found with Sam and Barnes," Tony said, glancing into Alessia's eyes momentarily. "Pepper was calling her Sandy, but-"

"Man, you guys suck at dog names." Alessia said. She tried to laugh, but it came out shaky and awkward again. "Is she okay?"

"Pepper, or the dog?" Tony asked.

"Either. Both." Alessia said.

"They're fine." Tony answered.

"And Jane?" She asked.

"She's fine. They were both worried about you, actually."

An awkward silence fell over the small crowd of people. The exchange had been polite, had broken the heated arguing and left an uncertain tone in the air.

"So, if there are aliens attacking earth, does that mean we're all on the same side now?" Scott said, breaking into the silence. "Cuz, I'm confused, didn't you" -he gestured to Tony- "kidnap them?" He asked, pointing to Sam and Bucky. "And also, are you still evil? Because I know you were evil before…" He said this to Loki, who had been grabbed on either side by Clint and Sam at some point during the arguing. "And also, if you guys are the same type of alien, why doesn't she have horns?" this time to Reemanaskel.

"He's right, we have to stop fighting" Tony said. "I'm sorry," He said to Bucky, and to Sam. "I thought I was doing the right thing but- I should have listened to Thor from the beginning. And yes, he's still evil, he's always been evil," He continued, answering Scott's other question "And I'm guessing it's sexual dimorphism. Most female mammals don't have horns."

"I'm not _evil_ -" Loki said, exasperated. "Alessia will tell you, won't you? And even if you don't believe I'm doing it out of the goodness of my heart, believe this: I'm trying to protect the rightful heir of an unfairly governed planet, I have have reason to be interested in the outcome!"

"If you think there's a chance in hell that we actually believe any goddamn thing you say," Clint began, tightening his hold on Loki's arm, but Alessia broke in,

"He did save you though," She said. Clint suddenly turned the cold glare he had been giving Loki to Alessia.

"Excuse me?" He said.

"Well, I just mean- look there were hundreds of them, they were going to kill us, there's no way we could have gotten out of that." Alessia said, trying to be diplomatic. However, she was starting to feel like she said the wrong thing, because Loki was smiling gratefully, and Clint looked livid, and everyone else seemed to be looking at her like she had lost her mind. No, not everyone, because Bucky was also glaring at her, and Natasha was still standing closest to her with an understanding sympathy in her eyes.

"When we got Sam and Barnes, Loki found her," Natasha said. "She's been with him for the past two days."

Clint turned his hardened stare at Loki once more. "If you fucking hurt her," He started, but Alessia couldn't hear the rest because Clint finished in a whisper. Whatever he said, however, it made Loki go pale and drop his mouth open.

"Look, why don't we sort through this back at the tower?" Tony asked, then added quickly "As guests, of course, you have my word."

As if to further ensure them of his change of heart, Tony offered to take Loki back with him, while the rest of them could pile into the van Steve had driven.

"I wanna ride with Natasha." Alessia said at once. "Which car are you going in?"

"I think somebody needs to help Stark keep an eye on your new boyfriend." Natasha said.

"I'll do it." Clint volunteered immediately. So Tony and Clint agreed to drive back in Tony's sports car with Loki while the rest of them took the van.

Before entering the van, Sam had grabbed Alessia's shoulder to stop her.

"I'm really sorry we left you by yourself," He muttered softly. Alessia shook her head and whispered. "It wasn't your fault. I'm not actually mad, I was just really worked up earlier-"

"No, it was messed up. I should have known something bad was going to happen." Sam said firmly.

"So, are you going to explain about the whole, alien-Queen-thing, because I for one am still not up to speed." Scott asked, joining them at the door of the van. "Also, is he going to come with us?" he lowered his voice and gestured back to Reemanaskel who hadn't approached the van.

"I… will go ask." Alessia broke away and dashed to Reemanaskel. He was standing where he had arrived, watching everyone work out the driving arrangement.

"I don't know if you can fit in the car with everyone," Alessia said, glancing at his horns.

"That will not be a problem," He told her. "But I will need to know the coordinates of the location you are traveling to."

"Uh… I guess ask him?" She gestured to Tony, who was handcuffing Loki to the inside handle of his car door. Reemanaskel bowed to her and strode off.

Alessia turned her head back to the group she was supposed to be riding with. Scott and Sam were already in the back, and Natasha was following them in. Steve was breaking from Tony and Clint's conversation to head back to the van. Alessia glanced around for Bucky. He hadn't spoken to her, other than to call her an idiot when everyone had first shown up. Not that he was wrong about that. He was standing a few feet away from Steve, with his hands in the pockets of the jacket he wore. He looked like he was cold, with his arms pinned to his sides and the collar of the jacket popped up to cover his neck. Alessia tried to catch his eye as she walked back to the van, but when he finally glanced up at her, he glared like he had before. Was he mad at her?

* * *

Seated on the back bench between Scott and Natasha, facing Sam, she recounted everything that had happened- well, almost everything. Details she left out: Loki's far too personal way of touching her, finding the picture of Bucky on Wikipedia, and falling onto razor wire.

"Oh, and this morning I started getting text messages on the phone I bought," She added, once she had arrived at the present. "I wasn't sure if it was one of you guys or-"

"It was me," Natasha told her. "By the way, _terrible_ clue, I thought you were with Steve."

"Steve?" Alessia asked.

"Because of time travel."

"But Steve is more like Jack Harkness." Alessia argued.

"Who's Jack Harkness?" Steve asked from the front seat.

"I thought you were watching Doctor Who?" Natasha asked him, before Alessia could answer.

"So, 'Tash, why don't you tell us what's been going on in the tower?" Sam interrupted, sensing that the conversation was quickly losing focus.

Natasha's side of things explained why Sam and Bucky had gotten captured without Alessia- the manager of the hotel they had stayed in the night before had recognized their car as the one recently stolen. The authorities caught up with them the next day after Alessia had been dropped off. It also confirmed Loki's story that the mall she was in had been searched- and thoroughly. Natasha explained that Thor was adamant about Apex Gold being an alien operation, which Jane and someone named Erik had confirmed. "Not that there's any doubt about it now," Natasha added.

Steve pulled the van into a parking deck underneath Stark tower and parked the car. Alessia nudged Natasha's arm as subtly as possible and mouthed "can we talk?" as Sam and Scott left the car. Natasha raised her eyebrows curiously, and nodded, leading the way out of the van.

Steve had walked to the wall where several elevator doors stood waiting and pressed the button for upstairs. As if ignoring this, Natasha walked to another of the elevator doors and called an elevator to them. Steve gave her a questioning look, and Natasha shrugged and said "You really want to stuff us all in the same elevator?"

The elevator Steve had called opened with a ding. Steve entered and Sam followed him inside.

"So, who do you want to ride with Bucky?" Scott asked, unsurely waiting to enter the elevator.

"Oh, why don't you boys all go in this one?" Natasha asked.

"You know, there's probably enough room for all of us to go in here," Scott said, stepping into the elevator. Natasha gave Steve a pointed look, and he took the hint.

"No, 'Tash is right, why don't you ride with us, Bucky?" Steve said.

Bucky kicked an eyebrow up and glanced skeptically at Natasha and Alessia, but walked into the elevator with the others. The doors closed on them and Natasha turned to Alessia.

"So?"

Their elevator arrived and Alessia and Natasha walked into it.

"I didn't mention it in the car," Alessia began, as the doors slid shut and Natasha pressed the button for the twenty-seventh floor. "But Loki was acting kind of weird to me." The elevator jumped into motion, adding to the tickling in Alessia's stomach.

"Weird?" Natasha asked. "What do you mean? What's your definition of normal in a situation like that?"

"No. I mean…" Alessia fisted her hands up, struggling with what she needed to say.

"He would try to hug me, or like, touch me sorta like- not like…" words were getting caught up in her mouth. She didn't want to overstate what had been going on. How could she explain it? "I mean he was always calling me pet names like 'darling' or 'love' and… not flirting exactly, but he…"

Natasha was listening with a furrowed brow and pursed lips. "Hmmm interesting." She said, crossing her arms, and looking off into the distance. "Like he's trying to trick you into thinking your relationship with him is more intimate. What did you do when he tried to hug you?"

"Well, I was stuck with him. I just… I didn't make him stop. I was kinda afraid of him." Alessia admitted, ashamed. Now that she said it out loud she realized how pathetic it sounded.

"Did you pretend to like it?" Natasha asked. A sick feeling twisted in Alessia's gut at the question. She looked down at the grey carpet on the elevator floor.

"No, I just tried to… seem indifferent to it." Alessia answered.

"You did the right thing," Natasha said. She placed a hand on Alessia's shoulder and Alessia brought her eyes up to meet Natasha's. "This is good. It means he thinks you trust him. We'll get Wanda to do a read on him and see what his endgame is. But whatever it is, if he thinks you're on his side we can use that."

Alessia nodded. She was relieved. Part of her had felt guilty about acting so relaxed towards Loki's behavior. She didn't have a boyfriend, so it wasn't like cheating, but it wasn't honest either. She couldn't understand why it felt so bad. Who was she betraying? The god of lies? Herself maybe. But Natasha's words made her actions seem correct. She only had one more question.

"Who's Wanda?"

* * *

Clint sat through the car ride with Tony and Loki in silence. He had chosen the back seat because it meant he could glare at both Tony in the driver's seat, and Loki, handcuffed to the door on the passenger's side.

He was pissed. And worried to the point where he actually felt a little sick. He thought of Alessia as part of his family, and he knew there was no way in hell that she was ready for a one-on-one fight with the man they had seen earlier. But that was what Loki had signed her up for.

 _Loki._ Clint knew him better than most of the other Avengers did. Of course, Thor grew up with him, and most of the team had fought him. But Clint, along with Erik and a handful of Shield's other employee's knew a different side of Loki. The one that had entranced and commanded them with the scepter. And, god damn. He was a bastard.

The thought of Loki somehow convincing Alessia he was on her side made Clint's gut turn. Alessia was a smart girl. She knew Loki was the one who caused the battle in New York. Clint felt like it was his fault. He should have coached her on spotting emotional infiltration tactics. _Stupid. Now look at the mess she's in._

Tony's car was faster and smaller than the van Steve drove, and made it through the traffic to Stark tower first. He ignored the first parking lot, and drove through it to a ramp in the back that lead down, to a lower level. Then again, to another lower level, and then drove straight at a wall, which lifted to reveal a small chamber which Tony parked in. The wall slid back down and the floor jolted into motion and started rising. When it stopped, the wall on the other side opened up and Tony drove them out.

It was the room Bucky had been held in. The doctors that had been there before were replaced with more guards. And Thor.

The god of thunder was standing with crossed arms and leaning against one of the desks that remained in the room from when the doctors had furnished it for research. Loki's handcuffs from the car were removed and one of the guards stepped up to force a thicker stronger pair onto him. Loki grimaced at the tight and uncomfortable bonds and glared at Stark.

"Is all this _really_ necessary?" He asked dryly as the same guard manhandled him to lead him to the chair in the middle.

"No," Clint answered for him. "It's just for fun."

Loki scoffed at the remark, but the harsh nature of his imprisonment must have given him some reason to be afraid, because he immediately started trying to bargain.

"Seems an unusual strategy, mistreating the only person you have with any familiarity with Muspelian legal procedure."

"I don't think we need anymore help with that from you." Clint growled.

"Suit yourself," Loki said offhandedly. He gave a purposefully casual and dismissive nod towards Thor, and leaned back into the chair that the guard had deposited him in before going on. "But in a week when Surmayath's men come to negotiate the terms of the battle, you may find yourself rethinking that."

Clint ground his teeth and glared at Loki's smug grin. _Checkmate,_ the grin said. _Fuck you,_ Clint thought.

* * *

Alessia sighed and flopped face first onto the bed. It was soft. So much more comfortable than anywhere she'd slept for the last several days. She was exhausted. Setting the building on fire had drained her significantly, and the confrontation that followed it was was weighing heavily on her mind. Not to mention she'd just been introduced to about a dozen new people, and she was sure she didn't remember half of their names.

Of course, they'd all been nice, and understood when she had swayed on her feet and asked if there was somewhere she might be able to lay down for a while. She tried to remind herself that they were Clint and Natasha's co-workers, which meant they would probably be easier to talk to once she knew them, but so far she felt nervous and unsure of how to act around them.

She kicked her shoes off and stripped the blanket from the bed, snuggling herself in the covers. Let's see, there had been Vision and Thor, they would be easy enough to remember. Thor because, well, he was _Thor,_ and Vision because, how often do you meet an android?

Who else? The dark haired woman with striking blue eyes who had quietly exuded the presence of someone who seriously had their shit together. Mary? No, Maria. Erik, the older man whose kind manners and warm bearing reminded Alessia of her dead grandfather. A man who introduced himself as James, but whom everyone else called Rhodes or Rhodey. And Wanda. Closer in age to Alessia, with a hard to pin down accent and silver rings on every finger.

Reemanaskel had teleported himself to the roof of Stark Tower and, after some confusion, had been lead down into the main building. He was currently explaining the situation to everyone. Alessia was too worn out to go through it all over again.

She undid the button and fly of her corduroy pants to make herself more comfortable as she curled into fetal position in the bed. She'd left the group soon after Iron Man and Thor had joined them, with the news that Clint would be coming down momentarily.

Alessia wasn't ready to talk to Clint. He was going to ask her what the hell she'd been thinking when she ran off to give herself up, and she would have to look him in the face without a good answer. She didn't have any romantic notion about giving herself up for the greater good. Instead of standing up and fighting, she had given in. So many parents had lost children because of her. Her own parents could join the list with the others. That wasn't something to be proud of.

Alessia would have spent longer laying in bed feeling bad about herself, about everything that had happened, but she was simply too tired. She wondered briefly just before she fell asleep what happened to Loki since she last saw him, but dismissed it as unimportant. He was an asshole anyway.

* * *

Alessia woke up to a knock on the door. She couldn't have been asleep for more than an hour or two, judging by the orange tinged evening light straining through the curtains. She rubbed her eyes and called "Who is it?" towards the door.

"It's me." It was Clint's voice. "Can I come in?"

Alessia sighed. She was going to have to face him sooner or later.

"Yeah, come in."

Clint entered the room and sat down on the bed as Alessia sat upright under the comforter. He sat and didn't say anything. Just leaned his elbows on his knees and didn't look at her for a long time.

"Loki thinks that he can negotiate your choice of weapon," Clint said abruptly. Alessia was surprised. It hadn't been the first thing she thought Clint would say to her. He turned to face her and went on. "According to him and Reemanaskel, traditionally whoever initiates the challenge picks the battle ground, while the opponent chooses the weapons, but Loki thinks he might be able to get them to reverse it because you're so young. There are no limitations on the type of weapon, but you can only choose one, so we think you should try to get a projectile of some kind, because Reemanaskel was adamant that Surmayath is a swordsman, not an archer."

He looked at Alessia meaningfully. She didn't have anything to say. What could she add to this news?

"You have a month to get ready," He went on. His voice was hard. Alessia could see the pain in his eyes as he said it. They both knew it was useless. That was not long enough. And Alessia wasn't an archer either. She wasn't skilled enough in any weapon to give her an edge in a fight. Not against Surmayath, anyway.

"Call your mom," Clint said suddenly. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and handed it to her. He stood up to go, then stopped at the door.

"You're going to have to train harder than you've ever trained before. It's going to be tougher than the training I've given you, more intensive than your old skating coaches, and harder than learning to control your pyrokinesis. you're going to feel worked to death." There was no humor in his voice. He locked eyes with her. "But you _will_ win this. You will." Alessia could see how serious he was, and felt suddenly ashamed of herself. This pain he was feeling. It was her fault. She nodded solemnly then dropped her eyes to the bed.

Clint left and Alessia still held the phone. Her parent's home phone number was under H, "Haddock's." She hit the little green phone icon next to the number and brought the cell phone to her ear. She sat nervously, playing with a loose thread in the hem of the comforter while the phone rang. and rang. and rang. and -

"Hey Clint! How's Alessia doing?"

Her dad's cheerful voice knocked the wind out of her. Her hands were trembling.

"Dad, it's me."

"Hey sweetie! You feeling better?"

"Yeah, I-" laryngitis. That was the story Laura told them. "I finally have my voice back."

"Yeah I can hear that." Her dad chuckled. "Hey by the way, have you heard from Randy? He was asking about you, I think he said something about you using up the last of your sick days soon. you might wanna give him a call, I think they're having Conner substitute for your classes."

 _Sick days._ Alessia thought bitterly. She hadn't even thought about work in days. It was amazing she hadn't been fired, actually. Randy had always been such a hard ass about sick days. She'd gone in and taught classes with a twisted ankle, and when Randy had been her couch, he wouldn't even give her time off when she'd come in with a broken rib.

"Yeah I'll call him. But, Dad." Alessia swallowed. She wasn't sure exactly what she needed to say to him. "I don't think I want to teach skating anymore."

"Oh," He sounded surprised, maybe unsure what he should say. "Well, what do you want to do then? Are you thinking of going to school?"

"I… I don't know. I think… I'm going to spend some time figuring it out. I'm going to… do some traveling."

She stood up and walked to the curtained windows. She'd been so tired that she hadn't even bothered looking out them when she came in.

"Traveling? Where to?" Her dad asked.

Alessia flung the curtains back to take in the view.

The sunset stained sky was pink and burnt orange, with the occasional deep grey cloud left over from the rain. The light from the sun drenched the hundreds of mirrored skyscrapers in a gleaming golden light. Towering buildings pierced the horizon line, and the rain slicked cars glittered as they moved along the streets, tiny as ants from this height. She could see the bay, the waves mirroring the fiery sky, and the triumphant figure of Lady Liberty towering from the water.

"I'm going to go to New York." She said.

* * *

It was later that evening when Natasha came and found Alessia, toying absently with her necklace and staring into the twilight. The intense and gorgeous sunset, vibrant from the air pollution of the city, had become night. Shimmering from the horizon down, the many lights of the buildings and cars of Manhattan glittered beneath the dull, starless sky.

"Hey,"

"Hey."

"How's it going?"

"It's…"

"Did you call your parents?"

"I talked to my dad. I think I might be fired. Not that it matters at all. Whatever."

Natasha came to stand by Alessia and stare out the window with her.

"Clint told you we're going to start training you tomorrow?"

"He said something about that."

"I know you probably should be going to bed soon, but I think you should tell Wanda what you told me."

"That Loki's was acting like a creep? Is that even unusual for him?"

"It could be. We won't know for sure unless she gets a read on him."

Alessia sighed. She turned her back to the window and nodded to Natasha. The older woman lead the way out of the room and down the hallway.

Alessia had been given a suite on the fifty-first floor, where guest rooms and a communal kitchen and rec space could accommodate six people very comfortably.

"Do you know who else will be on this floor with me?" Alessia asked as she and Natasha stepped into an elevator for the second time that day.

"Just you, Bucky, Sam and Scott. Everyone else already has rooms on different floors. This one was just finished being remodeled."

"You have a room here?"

"Yeah, floor sixty-three. Third door on the left. If you ever need me."

The elevator dinged on the fifty-eighth floor. They stepped off and Natasha lead Alessia through the hall of doors to stop in front of one. She knocked sharply, and moments later a voice called, not from within the room, but from down the hall, in the common room of the floor.

"Natasha? Izdaat you?"

Natasha and Alessia followed Wanda's voice to find her sitting cross legged on the floor in front of a coffee table. Vision was on her opposite, also cross legged. Between them on the coffee table sat a game of connect four.

"Evening, ladies." Vision said in his elegant english accent.

"Evening, Vision," Natasha smiled. "Do you mind if we borrow Wanda for a moment?"

"Not at all," Vision said, rising to his feet. He made a gesture with his hands when Wanda made to get up, shaking his head saying, "Oh no, I fancy a walk anyway. Besides, there are more places to sit in here."

And with that, he strode out of the room, walking straight through the wall as though it were a sheet of water. Alessia stared after him incredulously.

"He doezdat sometimes." Wanda said resignedly. "I've tried to explain dat it's rude, but…"

"He's made of metal!" Alessia hissed. "That shouldn't… He shouldn't… that doesn't…."

"Oh, Vision's powers are a whole 'nother can of worms. It's better to just accept that he can basically do anything." Natasha said, taking Alessia's shoulders and guiding her to one of the chairs in the common room.

"So he's like… Superman? Or Doctor Manhattan?"

"More like Doctor Manhattan." Natasha answered, sitting in another chair while Wanda pulled herself into a third.

"So, Ally, you want to tell Wanda what you said to me?"

"Right. Um. well, see the thing is.."

Wanda was staring intently at Alessia, ready to absorb whatever she said. Natasha had primed her shortly before getting Alessia, and Wanda was under the impression that she was getting briefed for a special and very secret mission. Something delicate and personal to the newly discovered queen of Muspelheim. Wanda was excited, because so far she hadn't been on many missions, and to be handpicked for something so important had her eager to do her best from the start.

Wanda's intent look threw Alessia off. She had to explain that a demi-god had been border-line sexually harassing her, and ask a teenager to read his mind to see if he had a good reason for it. Wanda's unwavering eye-contact and serious let's-get-down-to-business attitude did not make the subject any easier to broach. Alessia sighed. Best get it all out at once.

"So when I was on the run and Loki found me, he acted sort of weird towards me and I didn't know what to do about it at the time because he was the only person I was with and I thought that if I messed things up with him I'd end up on my own and get captured or something so I just sort of went along with it but I don't know why he did it or if he was trying to trick me and Natasha thinks you should read his mind and find out."

Alessia had rapidly summed herself up as quickly as she could, in a single breath. Wanda looked a little surprised, and glanced from the pink-cheeked Alessia to cool even tempered Natasha, looking for answers.

"'Acted weird'? Vat do you mean?"

"He…" Alessia looked at Natasha helplessly, hoping she would take over and repeat what had been so painfully hard for Alessia to say in the first place. But Natasha raised her eyebrows expectantly, so Alessia pressed on.

"He would.. Call me things like 'darling' and he was always looking for excuses to touch me-in a completely like, PG way, of course, but like… he'd put an arm over my shoulders or something like that and…"

Alessia trailed off, hoping that she didn't need to say more. Wanda seemed to have grasped the situation, but looked at Natasha curiously.

"I want you to read his mind. I'm going to take you with me first thing in the morning and I want you to tell me what he thinks about while I ask him questions. Also, it will give you the opportunity to watch an interrogation, which will be good for you."

"I see," Wanda answered, giving Natasha a nod and looking hesitantly back to Alessia.

"But you are okay? He didn't hurt you?"

"I'm fine. He couldn't have hurt me like that if he wanted to."

Alessia's stomach writhed at the truth of her words. The last time a man tried to touch her like that was the night before she met Clint. The night Dylan died.


	18. Chapter seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

Alessia returned to her floor by herself. Natasha stayed behind to talk to Wanda about interrogations, so Alessia made the trip back to floor fifty-one by herself.

The elevator dinged open and Alessia stepped off and started heading for her room. She didn't end up making it that far, however, because on the way there she passed the kitchen, and the sound of something rustling in there caught her attention and she popped her head in.

Bucky glanced up at her from the table where he was eating dry breakfast cereal from the box. The rustling Alessia had heard evidently being the bag the cereal was in. Bucky gave her an icy look but said nothing. Alessia stood in the entrance of the doorway for a moment, debating her next move, before she finally said:

"Are you mad at me?"

Bucky looked at her again, and reached his hand back into the cereal bag, filling the air with the noisy crinkle of plastic.

"I'm not _mad_ at you." He said after a moment. "I just… You kinda acted…" He inhaled heavily and didn't look in Alessia's direction, just staring at the handful of colorful cereal he had yet to eat. "Irresponsible." He said at last, not without some contempt.

"Oh, I acted irresponsible," Alessia repeated back to him. "It was irresponsible to stop them from killing dozens of people looking for me, was it?"

"Well, you didn't have to go and try to sacrifice yourself." He growled, meeting her eyes and closing his hand around the cereal, breaking the pieces into dust.

"That was a stupid thing to do. The kind of bullshit that Steve is always pulling on me. You can't just go around-" His voice was getting louder and more passionate "Putting your own life on the line like no one fucking cares about you. You have friends, you have family, you have a _life-"_

"Oh what the fuck do you know?" Alessia snapped, her temper ready to break from the stress of the day. "You don't know anything _about_ my fucking life." She had taken a few more paces into the kitchen and was holding the back of one of the kitchen chairs with both her hands. "It's not like I had something great going for me. I only have a few friends, and none of them even know who I am- _what_ I am. My life isn't some idyllic fucking fantasy, I don't even know what I'm _doing_ with my life and I-"

"No, fuck that." Bucky said, standing up from the table, the handful of fruity cereal dust falling to the floor. "You do so have friends who know what you are. Don't fucking act like you're too cool for everyone. Clint fucking cares about you. Sam and I- we care about you, we're your friends, and we don't want to hear about you trying to fucking kill yourself because you can't be bothered to spend five minutes coming up with a better plan than that-"

"No, No, hold the fuck on." Alessia interrupted angrily. "What the fuck do you mean, 'you're my friend'? You barely even fucking know me. No shut up," She snapped preemptively when Bucky opened his mouth to object. "What's my last name? Where do I work? How old am I? You don't fucking know shit about me except that I'm a fucking monster and - no I said shut the fuck up- that's fucking _all_ you know about me."

"Oh, fuck off, what do you mean, just because I didn't bother to make bland goddamn small talk with you?" Bucky asked angrily. He stood up, knocking the cereal box over in the act. "We slept in the same fucking tent for four nights for fucks sake I know what you're _like."_

Alessia didn't have a retort for this. Instead they just stared daggers at each other from just outside of an arms length away from one another. Alessia crossed her arms and inhaled deeply. She stared at the cereal crumbs on the floor, and tried to cool off.

"My last name is Haddock, I'll be twenty-one in a few weeks, and I work as a figure skating instructor at my local ice rink."

"You-you're only twenty?" He asked, sounding surprised.

"Yeah." She said, and then, because she was still pissed off, and because she wanted to show Bucky that she wasn't a complete goddamn idiot, she said. "Your last name is Barnes, and you're like, a fucking hundred."

Bucky's face completely changed, his mouth, which had been set in a straight line, fell open, and his skin went pale.

"Who the fuck told you that." He said. It was a whisper, but somehow more terrifying than his yelling voice. When Alessia didn't answer he said again, more intensely, "Who fucking told you that? Was it Sam?"

"Nobody had to tell me anything, _James._ I can figure things out for my own fucking self." She turned around to leave, but Bucky grabbed her arm to stop her. She reflexively used the counter Clint had shown her, but because Bucky was using his metal arm, she only ended up hurting the side of her hand.

"LET GO OF ME!" Alessia shouted angrily, much louder than they'd been arguing before. Bucky loosened his grip on her arm after sidestepping around her, blocking her exit. "What else do you know?" He said urgently. "What else do you know about me?"

"I don't fucking know anything!" Alessia said desperately, still struggling from his grasp. She heated herself up, but it was no use, his metal hand was not affected.

"All I know is you must have been shady as shit or you wouldn't have the government looking for you."

Bucky's eyes were fixed on hers, hard and searching. She stared back, half glaring, half pleading. She realized too late that if she had wanted him to tell her what his backstory was, she'd gone about in entirely the wrong way. He'd said they were friends, and she'd argued with him. Why the fuck had she done that? Couldn't she use friends right now, more than ever? She'd let every negative emotion that she'd stuffed deep down inside during the course of the day build up and pour out onto Bucky. Bucky who was only mad because she'd endangered herself, Bucky who said he was her friend even though he'd never bothered to ask her basic questions about herself. Maybe, she realized suddenly, it was because he knew that asking her those things would invite her to question him about his own past. A past he was so evidently keen on hiding.

"What's going on?" Sam asked from the doorway. Bucky turned around to face him, letting Alessia's arm go as he did.

"Nothing." Bucky said in a low growl, and he strode huffily out of the room and past Sam into the hallway. Sam watched him go and then turned back to Alessia, eyebrow cocked and questioning look on his face.

"It was nothing." Alessia said, hand grazing her upper arm where Bucky had grasped her. She'd have bruises in the shape of his fingers. _But I can just heal myself._ Alessia remembered. She bit her lip.

"So everything's cool?" Sam asked, walking in and picking up the fallen over cereal box, rolling down the bag inside it and putting it in one of the cabinets.

"Everything's fucking peachy," Alessia said, with no real energy behind her words. "Life couldn't be better. Goodnight."

* * *

Clint wasn't exaggerating when he'd said that it would be the most intense training that Alessia had ever been through. Her training began the very next day, and was overseen by Clint, Thor, Natasha, and Reemanaskel.

"Here," Reemanaskel said, the moment Alessia had entered the gym. It was a water bottle. Ordinary clear plastic. The liquid inside was dark green.

"What is it?"

"Vitamins." He told her. "Your diet on Midguard has been severely lacking, so I went home and got some supplements for you."

It tasted awful. Metallic, bitter, and vinegary, but Reemanaskel insisted Alessia drink an entire water bottle full over the course of every day. It made her shudder every time she took a gulp. She'd never tasted anything worse before.

The training consisted of sparing in turns with her four instructors, interchanged with target practice, using a variety of different weapons. In the afternoon she spent three hours with Reemanaskel learning the advanced methods of manipulating her powers. The breaks between were short, if they could even be called breaks. She woke up at six thirty, drank the protein smoothy Natasha and Clint swore by, trained until lunch, which was her only substantial break throughout the day. Training continued until nine o'clock at night, when she ate dinner, and then fell asleep almost immediately.

After three days Alessia started to wonder if she would even survive the month.

In addition to the vitamins Reemanaskel gave her, she was eating a traditional Muspelian warrior diet for lunch and dinner. The dinner portions were huge, and at first she thought it would be a struggle to get them down, but as the days went on, she started to look forward to the heaping plate of boiled vegetables and meat. It had a musky, earthy taste, and the smell of it was enough to make non-muspelian's wrinkle their nose in disgust, but it tasted delicious to Alessia. The meal was washed down with a mug of Muspelian mead.

Clint and Natasha had been reluctant to include alcohol at first, not impressed by Reemanaskel and Thor's combined claims that drinking Muspelian mead makes a tougher warrior. They wanted her in the best health of her life for the fight and both seemed doubtful drinking mead every night was the best way to go about it.

Alessia had finally been the one to put her foot down when, after a night sans mead, she had fallen asleep to a dream where she was killed by Surmayath over and over again, in increasingly horrific ways. Maybe the reason warriors who drank the mead were so tough was because it chased away nightmares. Either way, when she drank it she never remembered her dreams.

* * *

The day after Alessia arrived at Stark Tower, Natasha went to floor fifty-eight and knocked on Wanda's door.

"I'm ready." Wanda pulled the door open, without otherwise greeting Natasha. Natasha nodded and turned to lead the way to the elevator.

Once they were both inside and the elevator was dropping to floor sub-level ten, Natasha said: "Just let me do the talking. I've questioned Loki before. Thor has talked to him since he's arrived, and he said that Loki doesn't seem to know about you. Your abilities. Read his thoughts, and I want you to watch what I do. You never know, interrogation strategies could still be helpful for you, even with your powers."

The elevator dinged and the two stepped out into a long dark hallway, with four guards posted at the door at the end. They walked down the hall in silence, Wanda's combat boots making a soft _thump-thump,_ Natasha's low heeled ankle boots making a _clomp-clomp._ When they arrived at the door, Natasha hesitated for a moment, then turned to Wanda and said: "If he tries to ask you something, tries to engage with you in any way, I want you to ignore him, alright? Even if he tries to upset you."

Wanda nodded once, and Natasha turned the door handle and opened the door.

Loki was sitting with his back to the door, hunched over a folding table strewn with papers. There was a thick glass wall separating his half of the room from the half of the room that Wanda and Natasha had walked in from.

When the women walked in, Loki's form shifted slightly, perking up at the sound of their footsteps, but he didn't turn around to acknowledge them.

"Morning," Natasha said, cheerfully. Loki turned around finally, lifting himself from the plastic chair he had been sitting in.

"Romanoff," He said. He was surprised and didn't care to hide it. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" he smiled charmingly and his eyes slipped over to Wanda. "And who is this?"

"I wanted to see how your research is going." Natasha said, ignoring his second question.

"Fine," He said, eyes lingering on Wanda an extra moment. Wanda shuddered inwardly. Loki had a slippery, sleazy manner that was far too polite and charming, without being at all genuine. _No wonder Alessia had been creeped out by him,_ she thought.

"You think you have what you need to sway the case?" Natasha asked.

Loki was researching Muspelian law in order to argue the case for Alessia being able to choose the weapon. The folding table he had in front of him was laden with scrolls, books, stone tablets, and odd papers, all of varying ages. Some of the scrolls were crisp and new. A few of the stone tablets were so old and worn that the ancient Muspelian lettering was barely visible on the surface. These were the details Wanda gleaned from the timid dip she took into Loki's mind.

The moment she had entered his thoughts, however, Loki's body seemed to stiffen, and he turned his piercing gaze back on Wanda. Almost as if he could tell she was reading his thoughts. Or maybe she was just imagining it, but it made her so nervous that she withdrew herself from his mind at once. A moment later, when she gathered her courage and probed his thoughts yet again, she relaxed, certain that the timing of his gaze was completely coincidental.

"I think it's great that you're doing this to help Alessia." Natasha went on, seeming casual, except that nothing about chatting with Loki thought five-inch thick glass was casual. "Since you two aren't even friends or anything."

Loki smiled, a bit smugly, but didn't say anything. This was why Wanda was here. Loki was thinking: _What is Romanoff doing, asking me about the research, and about Alessia? What is she trying to get out of me? Perhaps she thinks she can trick me into revealing my plan. I shan't fall for that again. Strange she brought the brunette, though._

Natasha glanced at Wanda, who gave the smallest of movements to shake her head. Natasha pursed her lips and went on.

"Or maybe you two _are_ friends. What, did you guys bond over being adopted alien royalty?"

Loki cocked his head. He didn't say anything, but he thought: _Did she come up here just to make pointless small talk, or-_ Here Loki's facial expression changed slightly, as if excited by a new idea. - _Maybe Alessia asked her to see if I.. that is, if my plan has worked, and she's falling in love with me, it's perhaps natural that she would ask her friend to see if I feel the same way._ A subtle change happened in Loki. It wasn't part of his conscious thought stream. He didn't put a label to it, but Wanda, an observer, was able to see it. At the turn of his thoughts, his mood shifted completely. He wasn't sulking, or even plotting. He was giddy. Excited. Had to fight to keep his face straight a moment later when he said: "What have you come to talk to me about, Romanoff?"

"Just making sure you're still working hard. We're all counting on you, you know."

Loki gave the two women his slippery, charming smile, and Wanda found herself twisting the ring around her forefinger with her thumb. She only noticed it because Loki noticed, and was pleased with her obvious nervousness.

"You von't hurt her, vill you?"

Even though Natasha had told her not to speak, Wanda knew exactly what she was doing.

"Hurt who?" Loki asked, turning his entire focus onto Wanda now.

"Alessia. You von't hurt her vill you? Because she's counting on you. She _trusts_ you."

Loki's thoughts after that gave Wanda everything she needed.

* * *

The fourth morning of her training and Alessia woke up feeling sore and exhausted. The non-stop sparring combined with the extremely draining nature of Reemanaskel's training made her feel limp and sluggish from the time she woke up until she fell asleep at night. It wasn't that any of her trainers were mean. Natasha was strict, and Thor didn't pull punches, but they all meant well. It was that she was tired, and most mornings she didn't feel like she could drag herself the distance from the bed to the dresser, let alone draw a bowstring or fight hand-to-hand.

She lifted herself from the bed at last, every muscle in her body screaming in resistance. She shuffled to the pile of clothes heaped onto one of the armchairs in the corner. She lifted a few garments up, giving them a quick sniff test and before settling on the cleanest combination of clothes she could manage at the moment. A thin pair of sweatpants and a tee shirt. She threw on her sneakers and twisted her hair into a bun without bothering to untangle it first. She looked like shit, and she knew it.

She dragged herself out into the hallway and started heading to the elevator, looking forward to the minute and a half ride down to the eighth floor, because it would be the only part of her day that she wasn't expected to be on her feet and active until lunch.

Shuffling along groggily, she was surprised to hear a strange whimpering sound. For a second she wondered if she had imagined it, and brushed it off. But the sound came again, followed by the sound of a door opening, and Alessia turned around to see Bucky stepping out of his room with Buttercup on a leash.

Bucky's room was immediately adjacent to Alessia's, but because she'd been spending most of her time on the eighth floor training, she hadn't actually seen him since their fight.

"Oh." Bucky hesitated when he saw Alessia. "Hey." He stood awkwardly in the door frame while Buttercup yipped excitedly and ran over to Alessia.

"Hey sweetie." Alessia cooed, dropping to her knees to pet Buttercup. The dog hopped and barked excitedly, snapping her jaw playfully at Alessia's fingers.

"Hey, um, I'm sorry." Bucky said. Alessia looked up, surprised, Buttercup still yapping and darting on and off Alessia's lap, oblivious to their conversation.

"Sorry?" Alessia asked, somewhat confused.

"The other day. When we- when I yelled at you. And … your arm."

Alessia put her hand to the spot Bucky had bruised. She'd found herself making excuses again and again every time she intended to heal it with a lighter. She was still mad at herself for the things she had said, and somehow it seemed right to keep the bruise as a painful reminder. The tee shirt she'd put on this morning was short sleeved and displayed the bruise in all it's purple and yellow glory. Bucky gave it a guilty look, and Alessia regretted wearing something where it was visible. Bucky didn't know about her healing abilities, and it was clear that he felt awful about having hurt her.

"Don't worry about it." Alessia said, heaving herself up and ignoring the screaming pain in her legs as she did so. "You were right anyway. I acted like an idiot."

"Well- no, I think that was harsh." He said. He tugged at Buttercups leash, reeling the over-excited puppy back in. "Anyway, I just um. I wanted to apologize."

"Thanks." Alessia said, brushing some blonde fur from her sweatpants. "Um, you heading down?" She gestured to the elevator. Bucky nodded. Alessia pressed the down arrow button on the wall.

Despite feeling dead tired and not at all in the mood for conversation, Alessia wanted to make sure Bucky knew she wasn't mad at him.

"You taking her for a walk?" Alessia said, trying to force herself to sound interested and awake.

"Yeah, I want to get her leash trained." Bucky replied.

The elevator arrived and they both stepped on. The past few days, Alessia had ridden in the elevator sitting on the ground, with her legs stretched out in front of her, but she didn't want Bucky to think she was lazy, so she just leaned against the wall as they plummeted down.

"So, what's the training like?"

"Its uh… It's rough. Especially learning Breneshtad. The technique for controlling my powers. It's really… I'm just tired, you know?"

Bucky nodded knowingly.

The elevator doors opened on the training floor, and Alessia reluctantly stepped forward.

"Um. I guess I'll see you around, then.." She said.

Bucky smiled warmly, and nodded, but didn't say anything as the doors closed.

* * *

Everyone was so preoccupied with Alessia's training, Loki's plotting, and the imminent battle that it seemed they had forgotten all about Bucky. That was just fine by him. Steve made sure to check in with Bucky at least once every day, but he was also preoccupied. Loki claimed that the only thing stopping the Muspelian army from launching an attack on earth was the Malngang contract Alessia had enacted. This meant that Tony and Steve were spending a lot of time working out a strategy in case Alessia lost.

Even though Bucky was staying on the same floor as Alessia, Sam, and Scott, he rarely saw any of them. Instead he found himself left to his own devices for the greater part of the day, and chose to spend his time training Buttercup.

He had been looking up tips on dog training on the laptop Steve had gotten for him, and found out that people actually train dogs for PTSD. After reading several articles on it, he found out about a book that taught you how to do it yourself. He decided to get it, but wasn't sure how to go about it.

There was a website that said it would deliver it if he ordered it, but Bucky didn't have a credit card or a account, so that wouldn't work. It would also be delivered to Stark tower, and Bucky didn't like the idea of someone else seeing that he ordered a book about PTSD. No, online ordering would not work. Bucky would have to buy it in person if he was going to train Buttercup.

Friday morning he got up and put on his shoes. He had found five bookstores in walking distance to Stark tower. Surely one of them would have the book he wanted.

He put Buttercup on her leash and stuck his wallet in his back pocket. It was early, dawn was still lighting up the skyline outside his windows. Bucky always got up early, had ever since he enlisted. It was a second nature to him now.

He stepped out into the hallway and was surprised by the sight of Alessia. It had been two days since they had last run into each other, and that had been because Bucky had timed his exit to get the chance to say sorry to her. He was normally out of bed after her.

She was wearing tight black pants and a tight blue shirt, along with sneakers. What girls wore to work out in. Yoga pants, that's what they were called. Bucky couldn't help his gaze from traveling down from Alessia's face. Of course they were meant for working out, but surely they didn't have to be so tight?

Bucky forced himself to look back at Alessia's face to greet her. That was when he got a look at her bloodshot eyes, dark circles, and absolutely frazzled appearance.

"Hey," she said listlessly.

"Morning. Are you feeling okay?"

"Yes yes yes I'm fine." Alessia snapped irritably. "I'm just late is all. Overslept by accident. You going down?"

She had crossed to the elevator and pressed the down button for herself. She stood tapping her foot impatiently as the elevator was summoned.

"Yeah, I'm taking Buttercup for a walk. How's training going?"

Alessia took a swig from the water bottle she was carrying, wincing at the flavor of the green liquid she gulped down.

"You know what I found out yesterday? On Muspleheim the sun takes like, almost a thousand days to make a full rotation, so their years are like, three earth years long."

"Cool. How is training?"

"It's…" Alessia was stalling for time, and Bucky could tell. She opened up her water bottle again, but her hands were shaking. She didn't look in Bucky's direction and just stared at the elevator doors. They opened suddenly and Alessia made a dash to enter, but Bucky put an arm down stopping her, standing in front of her so that she had to look at him.

"Are. You. Oh. Kay."

Alessia looked up at Bucky helplessly. She made another desperate attempt to dart past him into the elevator, but Bucky stood his ground. At their feet, Buttercup looked curiously from one to the other. The elevator doors closed. Alessia broke down crying.

"I'm just so-so- _tired."_ She buried her face in her hands, her shoulders heaving. Her hair, tied messily up in a bun, spilled out of the elastic that held it. Bucky gently took her water bottle from her, screwing the top back onto it so that it didn't spill. She was still crying. Hesitantly, Bucky put his hand on her shoulder. His flesh hand, because he didn't want to intimidate her. She responded by glancing up into his eyes.

Tears had made her eyes glassy and red. Her nose was pink and her cheeks wet. A look of exhaustion and despair crossed her features and Bucky didn't stop his urge to hug her. He pulled her small frame to him and wrapped both arms around her. He noted that she felt lukewarm. Not hot, which was unusual because half the time he had been able to feel heat radiating off of her just from sitting in the same car.

"When do you get a day off?" He asked gently, rubbing her back a little as her sobs started to subside. She shook her head into his chest. Her breathing was still coming out as irregular gasps. "Don't you have a day off? You've been training almost a week, haven't you?"

"Can't take breaks. Whole planet. Need me. Their Queen. Can't lose." She forced the words out between gasps.

Bucky squeezed her gently, but firmly, hoping it was reassuring. "What floor do you train on?"

"Ei-eight."

Bucky rubbed her back one more time and then gently broke away from her. "Take Buttercup to your room." He said, handing the leash to Alessia. Alessia sniffed and accepted the leash with a confused look on her face. "Why?"

Bucky pressed the down button beside the elevator again. "Go ahead. And drink a glass of water." He turned her gently by the shoulders to point toward her room.

"But why? What-"

The elevator arrived.

"You're getting the day off today." Bucky informed Alessia. He entered the elevator and pressed the button marked "eight." She turned around, as if to argue with him, but the doors were already shutting closed.

* * *

Alessia watched as Bucky was closed off by the sliding metal doors. Off to tell everyone that she was a failure. Alessia thought for a moment of running after him. She could call another elevator. She could run the last few flights of stairs so that she got there first. She'd show Reemanaskel that Queen Sinrutha was still ready and willing to train. She'd show Thor what a strong, resilient warrior she was. She'd prove to Clint and Natasha that she wasn't giving up just because she was a little tired.

But she wasn't just a little tired. She was exhausted to the very core of her bones. So she followed Bucky's instructions and went back to her room.

She kicked off her sneakers and yoga pants and put on the corduroy pants she'd gotten at goodwill when she was with Loki. Then she tugged on a flannel button-up shirt.

She sipped her vitamins. She shuddered and fell back onto her bed. Buttercup climbed in beside her. The puppy sniffed and licked at Alessia's face, no doubt enjoying the salt from Alessia's tears. Alessia tried to keep her eyes open, but they just kept slipping shut. Buttercup settled in beside Alessia and both quickly dozed off.

When the doors to the training room opened, Natasha looked up with a smile, expecting to see her pupil. She faltered for half a second at the sight of the winter soldier.

"Where's Ally?"

"She's not coming in today. You guys have been working her too hard. She needs a break."

"She gets a break tomorrow when the Malngang is negotiated. And why didn't she come here to tell me this herself?"

"You call negotiating a battle a _break?_ " Bucky asked incredulously. He had stepped out of the elevator into the training room. Natasha was wearing the same sort of tight yoga clothes Alessia had been wearing, and had tied her red curls into a ponytail. She stood with her hands on her hips appraising Bucky.

"She doesn't have the luxury of taking weekends off." Natasha said cooly. "The fate of two planets depends on the outcome of this battle, she has to be ready."

"Well, she's not going to be ready if the pressure of saving two planets and training twelve hours day has her cracking up." Bucky retorted. No wonder Alessia was so stressed. Had everyone been drilling the importance of this fight in her? Bucky recalled the way she'd gasped about being Queen. The pressure was killing her.

"Where is she? Why didn't she come down this morning?" Natasha asked.

"She's having a nervous breakdown because you people are working her to death. She's taking the day off."

Bucky was getting pissed. He'd read the files. Romanoff was a former assassin, not unlike himself. She should know what it felt like to be pushed to the breaking point, at least if her training had anything in common with his. How could she subject someone else to that kind of physical and psychological torment?

Steve strode in, with Clint at his side, and the two caught sight of Bucky, poised against Natasha, and stopped, their conversation halted.

"Hey Bucky," Steve said uncertainly, looking anxiously at the two deadliest people he knew staring daggers at one another. "What's going on?"

"Where's Alessia?" Clint asked, glancing around the training room.

"You guys need to give her a day off." Bucky said firmly.

"Already? It's only been five days." Steve said, but quaked under the look Bucky shot him.

"I don't know what you guys have been putting her through, but she's earned the day off from it." Bucky said icily. "And you better not try and make her feel bad about it either, she was planning on coming down here to train even though she was having a meltdown, so if I hear anyone giving her shit, they're going to have to answer to me." He gave Natasha a meaningful look before turning around to storm into the elevator.

* * *

Alessia was awoken by the shuffling of another person in her room. She sat up at once, startled, and relaxed when she saw that it was only Bucky, untangling Buttercups leash, and clipping it back to her collar.

"How long was I asleep? Is it too late to go back and practice?"

"You're going to take a rest day, Alessia. I talked to Romanoff and Steve, they said it was fine."

Alessia rubbed her eyes and looked out the window. Dawn had crept over the city, but it was still early in the morning. A quick glance at her clock confirmed that her nap had barely lasted fifteen minutes.

Bucky had finally wrangled Buttercup and was striding across to the door when Alessia asked: "Where are you going?"

Bucky hesitated, hand on the doorknob, before he answered.

"I'm going to go shopping. For a book. And give Buttercup some exercise."

"Oh," Alessia said. Shoulders slumping. She knew she had no right to be disappointed, but she didn't want to be alone. Not knowing what tomorrow was.

"Why?" He asked, still standing by the door. "Did.. did you want to come with me?"

Alessia perked up at once, and nodded, trying to sound casual as she said. "Yeah, I've been really excited to see what the city is like and I haven't gotten the chance yet."

"You mean you've been in New York for almost a week, and you haven't even left Stark Tower?" Bucky asked incredulously, dropping his hand from the doorknob to give Alessia his full attention. Alessia nodded, and Bucky shook his head in mock disappointment, a poorly repressed grin twisting at his lips. "Well, I don't think we have a choice then. Go ahead and get ready, we have to get bagels."

* * *

First, she and Bucky got bagels, slathered with cream cheese and with thick slices of bacon sandwiched between. Then they went to Barnes and Noble, where Alessia got an ice coffee, much to the barista's amusement, on such a chill October day. She sipped it happily while browsing the fantasy section. Bucky had disappeared for that stretch of the outing, and when he found her he was holding a bag with a book in it. Alessia felt his nervous energy, and decided not to ask what he got. Maybe something embarrassing. Alessia couldn't imagine what sort of book Bucky would be embarrassed by. What sort of books are embarrassing? Alessia might not want someone to know that she read romance novels from time to time. But the thought of Bucky reading one of those cheesy bodice rippers was hard to imagine. What was a guy guilty pleasure novel? Alessia wasn't sure.

Whatever it was, Alessia didn't ask. Instead she animatedly chatted about her favorite authors, lamented that the new Anne Rice book looked awful, and asked him if he ever read any of the Game of Thrones books. Meanwhile, she eyed up Neil Gaiman's "Norse Mythology," but thought better of bringing it up, or letting Bucky see her interest in it. Part of her, secretly, wanted to read it just to see what it said about Loki, and then find him and read every bit of it aloud just to see what he'd say. _No. It's not that. It's that I like Neil Gaiman_ , Alessia told herself. Then she asked Bucky what he likes to read in his spare time. He gave the shelves a long, almost sad look and said "You know, I honestly haven't read much in a _while."_

Alessia left with a copy of "the color of magic" and Bucky still carrying his book in the opaque barnes and noble bad. As they walked to the dog park in Central Park, Alessia broached the silence to say. "Thanks. For getting me the day off. And taking me out."

"Don't mention it."

Silence again. Not uncomfortable. Alessia was still sipping on her iced coffee, not caring one lick that she must look weird drinking it in the freezing weather when everyone else is wearing sweaters and jackets, and all she has is a tank top with a flannel over it. Buttercup trotted happily between them. Bucky's nose had turned red from the cold. His lips pink. Alessia was struck with the urge to kiss the cold off of them. _Shut up brain,_ she chastises herself. She looked down to distract herself, at Bucky's hand holding the leash. She broke the silence again.

"Can I ask you a personal question? And you can totally say no."

Bucky gave her a fleeting glance. "What's the question?"

"How-" How did you get on a national wanted list? How come Clint called you Winter soldier? How come when you google winter soldier it's a bunch of government conspiracy theorists talking about an assassin who's been active since the fifties? How come you make my stomach tingle when you look at me? How is it legal for your eyes to be so goddamn blue?

"How come…. Your arm… is. Um. Metal."

They kept walking along in silence after Alessia asked the question. In fact, it had been so long since she asked, that she'd assumed he decided not to answer, and had almost forgotten she'd even posed the question until he said: "I lost my real arm. It was a long time ago. I was…" A long pause here. "I was… _working_ with some people. They gave me this one. They needed me to be strong to… do the job."

"Who were they?" Alessia asked, and regretted it the second she did. Why did she need to know exactly who and what he used to be? Didn't she know enough? He'd done something bad- probably killed people. All she didn't know were the specifics. Who kept him alive all this time? If the U.S government wants him, does that mean he was employed against them? Or does it mean he worked for them, and now knows too much?

But what difference did that make? Wasn't the important thing who he was now? He was her friend- at least, she hoped that was still true.

But Bucky never answered her question. They let Buttercup socialize with the other dogs. They sat on a bench and took out their books and read, Bucky still careful to conceal the cover, and Alessia careful to seem uninterested in it.

When they left, Alessia put the Barnes and Noble receipt in between her pages to mark her spot, and Bucky did the same, and she accidentally caught a glimpse of a dog on the front of the book. What's so embarrassing about reading a book about dogs? But he hid it again before she could read anything. When they walked back Bucky brushed his arm against hers often, striding closely to her. At first, Alessia thought maybe it was because he wanted to be close to her, but then she wondered if he was just cold and walking so near because she gave off warmth.

* * *

Alessia now lay on her bed, book in hand, wondering if she should have asked Bucky more about the stuff he liked. What movies does he like? What T.V shows? Foods? What's his favorite time of year? Favorite holiday? Would he share Alessia's love for fast approaching Halloween?

She was just about to doze off when a knock came on the door. Thinking, or maybe hoping, it was Bucky, she called out cheerfully: "Come in!" _We can make popcorn_ She thought, excitedly. _and watch movies._

It was Natasha, followed by Wanda.

"Oh." Alessia couldn't help the disappointment in her voice. "What's up?"

"Have a fun day?" Natasha asked.

"Yes." Alessia answered too quickly. Natasha cocked an eyebrow.

Alessia blushed, but Natasha ignored this and said: "By the way, I wanted to apologize. Reemanaskel told us that with the Muspelian training he's been giving you, you've more than earned this break. Clint, Thor, and I didn't realize that the work he was doing with you was so exhausting."

"Oh." Alessia was a little taken aback. "Um. Yeah. No problem."

"Wanda?"

"Right. I vent wid Natasha to Loki's interrogation." Wanda looked uneasily at Natasha before continuing on. "He.. has a plan vorked out."

"How so?" Alessia asked, sitting up in bed, and then, realizing her rudeness, said quickly. "Oh, guys, please sit down." There was a pair of arm chairs flanking a small reading table in the corner and the two women settled themselves into them before Wanda continued.

"Loki vants nothing more than a kingship of his own." She said carefully. Alessia nodded. That sounded right. "And… You have a Queenship." Wanda added.

Alessia stared at Wanda. She felt chills erupt all over her skin and an icy coldness flood her blood. It was like her body realized what Wanda meant before her brain did.

"So he. Wants. Me."

"Vell. Yes."

"He.. wants to.."

"See, de thing is." Wanda went on, interrupting Alessia's train of thought. "It's not just dat. I mean… It started out like dat, but he… thinks fondly of you. I don't know how else to say. He's worried. Because of the… well you know. And not just because it would ruin his plans. He… He likes you."

This revelation did not makes things any easier for Alessia.

"What... What do I do?" She looked helplessly at Wanda, and then to Natasha.

"Play along, for now." Natasha said. "You're gonna see him tomorrow at the negotiation. Make him feel like you trust him. For all intents and purposes, you _do_ have to trust him, for tomorrow atleast."

Alessia laughed nervously. Yes, tomorrow. When her fate would be decided.


	19. Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

That morning Alessia woke sluggishly and with a bad taste in her mouth. She'd had dreams the night before, despite having drank more than her usual dose of Muspelian mead after Wanda and Natasha had visited her. Not dreams, nightmares. She swung her legs out of bed and stood up, immediately feeling the affects of all that alcohol. Her head spun as she ducked into her bathroom and wretched into the toilet. She'd skipped dinner last night, and nothing came up. Instead she just heaved painfully while her stomach cramped and twisted in her belly.

 _Perfect start to the day._ Alessia thought as she stripped down to shower. Her body felt sweaty and grimy from the night's drunken and unpleasant sleep. She caught a glance at herself in the mirror before she stepped in the shower, and saw her red eyes, dark circles and dry lips. She would need some kind of miracle to be bright eyed and ready for the negotiation.

When she was finally dressed, her hair gently steaming as it dried against her head and shoulders, she went into the kitchen to find food. Even though her stomach turned at the thought of eating, she knew she had to atleast have toast if nothing else.

Bucky and Sam were already in the kitchen having eggs. Alessia tried not to gag at the smell of them as she trudged in and croaked "Morning."

"Woah, you look like shit." Sam said. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Alessia said, shoving a bagel into the toaster.

When Sam and Bucky kept looking at her dubiously she sighed and said. "I had too much mead last night, alright? That shit is strong and ... I don't know, I felt like I needed it knowing what I have to do today."

Bucky nodded and kept eating his toast with scrambled eggs, but Sam gave Alessia a raised eyebrow. "So you got drunk?"

The bagels popped out of the toaster. "I think I'm entitled, given the circumstances." Alessia said irritably, and forced herself to take a bite of bagel. Her stomach protested, begged her not to chew and swallow, but she pressed on. This was not her first hangover.

"There's coffee," Bucky said helpfully. Alessia said "Thanks" around her bagel and poured herself a mug.

"There's whiskey in the cabinet." Sam said, in grudging tone. "Stark seems to have it in every kitchen in the building. You know, if you need it."

"Hmm, thanks." Alessia said. "But I don't know if it's strong enough to be hair of the dog when the dog is Muspelian mead. The bees who get the honey for that shit take it from the flowers of this plant-" Alessia was finally starting to perk up a bit as she explained "It's like.. Already a drug there. I think. Like, the honey itself will get you fucked up, even if it's not fermented. That's what Reemanaskel said, anyway."

"Cool," Sam said. Bucky nodded but his mouth was full. Alessia sighed and leaned against the counter. The negotiation wouldn't start until mid afternoon. She was going to be on edge for hours waiting for it.

The negotiation would take place on neutral ground, as decided upon by Reemanaskel & Surmayeth's emissaries a few days prior. The agreed upon location was one of the moons of Alfheim, the realm of elves and enchantment. The moon was mostly uninhabited, except for a few outreach posts that assisted galactic travelers from various other planets in the galaxy.

Alessia met Reemanaskel for departure at half past noon, in the training room she'd been trudging to every morning for the past week. She expected Clint to see her off, and probably Natasha too. She was not expecting the entire team to be waiting for her-plus Bucky and Scott.

Wanda was sitting on top of the pile of tumbling matts stacked against the wall, making her considerably higher up than everyone else. Vision was standing at the base of the tumbling matts, and Thor a few feet away from him, with his hair in a ponytail wearing a denim jacket. Tony had to look up from his phone to smile at Alessia when she came in. Even though they were inside he was wearing those yellow tinted sunglasses. Natasha was standing in between Clint and Steve, wearing a cardigan Alessia recognized as Clint's, and a slytherin tee shirt. Scott had been sitting on the bench by the weights, Sam was leaning against the wall beside the racks of weights, resistance bands and other workout equipment. Bucky was standing near Steve and Natasha with Buttercup in his arms, where she seemed to be drifting in and out of sleep.

Taken aback, Alessia didn't say anything at first.

"We thought we'd all see you off," Vision said, by way of explanation.

"I.. I can see that." Alessia said. A scattered chuckling filled the room.

Reemanaskel approached her with the transporter she would be wearing, and showed her the button to press. "I already have the meeting place and return co-ordinates in here. All you have to do is push the button." Alessia nodded and took the small device from him, fastening it to her belt. The dress she was wearing was a Muspelian design, and it made her feel all the more out of her element.

The elevator door at the far end of the room opened, and Loki was escorted in, flanked by four guards. His wrists were bound in wide metal cuffs, and he wasn't wearing the midguardian clothes Alessia had seen him in last. Instead he wore trousers and a long coat that more closely resembled the uniform Thor wore when training, except perhaps nicer. Alessia thought for a moment that maybe he was given nicer clothes by someone- his brother, probably- as a show of goodwill- until she remembered that for the negotiations everyone had to look nice.

It almost reminded her of when her grandparents used to insist the family go to church. They'd stuff her into some uncomfortable flouncy dress and make her sit still though the sermon. The church in her town only started a proper sunday school for the kids after Alessia's parents stopped going, so she had to listen to the adult sermon every week.

Yes, it was exactly like that. except that instead of listening to a southern preacher warn the congregation of the perils of homosexuality and premarital sex, she was going to listen to an actual heathen god vouch for her right to choosing the grounds on which she was slaughtered. Instead of wearing a dress with little pink flowers on it, she was wearing a traditional Muspelian gown of burgundy leskil, a fiber similar to silk, but, like most fabrics favored by Muspelians, resistant to flame. The collar was high up on her neck, and the tight sleeves tapered to points that ended above her middle fingers.

Loki's bonds were removed. He glared at the room at large, giving a snide nod at his brother, but saved a gentlemanly smile for Alessia.

"You look every part the Queen, your majesty." He said.

Tony, Steve and Clint all seemed to find this remark offensive, particularly Clint, whose glare towards Loki only intensified. Thor seemed unsurprised, but from across the room Natasha wagged her eyebrows at Alessia.

Alessia took a deep breath."Yeah, obviously."

Loki smirked, but seemed to like the answer. A quick glance in Natasha's direction confirmed that she'd said the right thing.

"How long do you think you'll be gone?" Clint asked Reemanaskel before they departed.

"It depends. It could be hours." Reemanaskel said. Alessia already knew that. She pulled her hands away from the teleporter on her hip, and cracked her knuckles. "I'll see you tonight." She said, forcing confidence into her voice.

"See you," came a chorus of several voices.

"Good luck," Clint said before giving her a brief hug.

"She'll be fine," Natasha said, smiling at Alessia. Alessia nodded back to her.

"We probably should go ahead and leave now," Alessia said, looking hesitantly at Reemanaskel. If they waited any longer they'd be late.

"You are correct, my lady." Reemanaskel replied.

"Hope it goes well."

"You'll be fine"

"Farewell,"

Alessia was barely able to distinguish the voices from one another as the world around her slowly started falling away.

The moon of Alfheim was not the way Alessia pictured it to be at all.

Maybe it was because, in her mind, all moons were like Midguard's: dry, dusty, grey, covered in craters, and surrounded by perpetual night. She had never thought about the fact that it could be daytime on the moon before. How the hell had that never occurred to her? And she never thought about a moon having water And the ability to sustain life. But this one did.

Even though the sky above was almost the same shade of blue that it would have been on Midguard, everything else about this planet was different.

The rocks on the bottom of the river bed that ran beside them were a murky red color, and the soil where it showed in the midst of the purple-black grass was the same shade of red. There were no trees, but semi transparent grey-green pillars grew around them like a forest. They reminded Alessia of jellyfish.

Alessia stood for a moment, completely unprepared for the unaccustomed sight, and watched the strange frog like creatures hop in & out of the running water.

"What do you think of it, your highness?"

Alessia looked over at Loki and realized that he had been watching her take in the surroundings with a strange look on his face. Alessia might have felt uncomfortable, or even irritated with him if she wasn't so awe struck.

"It's beautiful." She said, turning away from him, but not fast enough to catch the smile that elicited from Loki. A sincere smile. Heartmeltingly warm on that cold sharp face of his.

The negotiations were being held in a garden fifteen minutes from where they originally teleported. Reemanaskel explained that it was customary not to teleport directly into neutral ground. Alessia spent the walk over trying to psych herself up for the task. She was a queen. Rightful heir to the Muspelian throne. & she was going to get her way with this battle.

The garden was full of black foliage and more of the jellyfish plants, but they were manicured & set in a circle, surrounding a stone table & circular stone bench. It wasn't unlike a midgaurdian garden, really. There was even a fountain, except the water that ran through it was stained a burnt orange color that matched the ground.

The three of them settled onto the bench that encircled the table, Alessia in the middle, Reemanaskel on her left, and Loki on her right. Loki offered her a smile, and she was once again hit by how sincere he seemed. Why did he have to be like that? Couldn't he just be evil, like he was supposed to be? Instead he was acting like a prince.

 _He is a prince. He's the one whose going to be pleading your case, so just focus on that._ Alessia said to herself firmly. She smiled back at him and he leaned over conspiratorially to whisper.

"I'm sure you're feeling nervous, princess, but I'm afraid you're going to have to do a little better to hide it. It's written on your face right now."

Alessia flushed and looked away, setting her eyes forward. "Don't worry," He continued, "I'm going to make sure things go our way."

 _Our._ Alessia didn't know how to feel. She was irritated with Loki, but also glad he was here. So glad. Why hadn't Bucky seen her off earlier?

Alessia was ripped from that thought. Surmayath had arrived.

He came with only one companion, who was small only by comparison to the Muspelian royal. By human standards, he was quite average, perhaps even on the tall side, but for a Muspelian male, he was as short as Alessia had seen. Probably only clearing six feet by a hair's breath, the man was thin limbed and wearing a black robe with tight sleeves that emphasized how slim he was. It only served to make Surmayath, with his thick knotted muscular arms bulging against his black leather jacket, look even bigger and more formidable.

Alessia wanted to run and hide. Every breath Surmayath took seemed to ooze hatred. His eyes flashed at her, sending a pang of adrenaline straight to her heart. He sat down opposite her, and placed his hands on the stone table. Even his hands were bulging with what looked like too many muscles for his skin to hold. The knuckles looked mottled and uncomfortable.

Alessia tried to reel her emotions in. So far she had done her best to keep her face looking impassive, but the look Surmayath sent her after he sat down made her flinch. Only a little, but Surmayath must have seen it because he smirked at her.

Her hands, twisting nervously in her lap, were suddenly covered by something cool and gentle. Alessia glanced down and saw Loki's pale hand resting on top of hers. Without thinking, she immediately clasped it with both hands, and she felt him squeeze back reassuringly, even though he did not break his gaze from the enemies.

"So, Sinrutha, I see you've brought a friend." Surmayath eyed Loki with some mild interest.

"It is traditional to bring counsel, is it not?" Alessia said, trying to sound as regal as she could manage.

"And yet you've brought two. How interesting." Surmayath said. Alessia opened her mouth to defend herself, but Surmayath quickly dropped the subject.

"I assume you've considered the location on which you'd most like to die?" He growled, sneering as he stared into her eyes.

"Actually, my lady pleads substandard abilities." Loki said. "She requests to be allowed to choose a weapon, not a location."

 _Substandard? Who told him to say THAT?_ Alessia dropped Loki's hand  & couldn't help but look offended. _substandard?_ _He could have chosen any word to use, and he picked_ _ **that**_ _one?_

Surmayath laughed. "Indeed, I suppose she would. But the rules are very clear. As the presenter she has right to pick the terrain, and as the acceptor I have right to pick the weapon. If you don't like that, I'm quite happy to pick both."

Loki tried again. "In most cases, yes, but," and here he pulled a scroll out of the chest of his tunic "I cite the battle of Gruniard and Balwig. Gruniard was a swordsman of considerable skill, & when he accepted the challenge to Malngang from Balwig, he let the younger, less experienced warrior choose the weapon with which they fought-"

"And he was slain by a Kaplaine Blade," Surmayath interrupted. "It is why in legend he is called Gruniard the foolish. And I may add that your reference is a folktale, a bedtime story for little ones, hardly the basis for a Malngang negotiation."

Unperturbed, Loki pressed on. "Then what about in more recent history, when King Srunatan, your grandfather, threw away all traditional laws and married Diamon, a commoner from Niflheim, who later became one of Muspelheims greatest queens?"

"And what of it?" Surmayath growled dangerously.

"Well, it shows that at times, casting off old traditions can be prosperous." Loki said. Alessia kept watching him out of the corner of her eye. Loki was better at hiding it than she was, but he was nervous. He was _losing._

"Indeed, even someone so recent in your bloodline would agree-"

"That has no bearing on a Malngang!" Surmayath interrupted hotly. "Choose a location or I will choose it for you."

Alessia reached out and grasped Loki's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"If it's quite alright with you," Alessia said, staring evenly in Surmayath's eyes. "I'd like a word with my counsel in private."

Surmayath squinted at Alessia suspiciously, and even Loki and Reemanaskel gave her quizzical looks.

"Fine," Surmayath said finally. "But leave your teleporters here, for insurance."

Alessia obliged at once, unclipping the small black rectangle from her hip.

"No, what are you doing?" Loki whispered urgently. "We can't leave him alone with our only means of escape."

"We aren't." Alessia said, in even tones. "I just need to talk to you, Reemanaskel can stay here."

A look passed between Loki and Reemanaskel, & Loki submitted, placing his teleporter beside Alessia's on the table. Together they stepped back over the bench & walked outside the garden circle,behind a tall, dense black plant where they could whisper without being overheard.

"What is it?" Loki hissed.

"You're not going to be able to get me choice of weapon, are you?" Alessia whispered back. Loki's expression turned pained. "I'll convince him, I will, I have a few more references, I think I can get him to change his mind," Loki, consciously or not, had lifted his hands so that his palms were almost touching Alessia's upper arms, protectively. Alessia gently raised her hands to his wrists, resting her hands there, & he looked down, as surprised to see where his limbs had ended up.

"Tell me about your home planet."

"My home planet?" Loki asked. "Well, it's not too different from midgard actually, blue skies, deep oceans, hot summers, cold winters-"

"Not Asgard." Alessia clarified. "Tell me about Jotunheim. It's a realm of ice, isn't it?"

They arrived back at Stark tower about two hours after they left. Reemanaskel teleported them onto the roof first, and then they took an elevator down to the level where everyone was waiting for them. Alessia stepped off and was immediately accosted by Thor.

"How did it go?" He asked eagerly. Alessia grinned, and Thor's face lit up, behind him, the room at large seemed to breath a sigh of relief. "Then my brother was able to convince him?" Thor went on as Alessia walked past him into the room. Reemanaskel and Loki followed. Loki wore a dogged, guilty look as Alessia announced brightly to the room:

"On, the contrary, I think we've come up with a better strategy."

Silence. Alessia noticed that this time Bucky had made it up with out Buttercup. For some reason she couldn't make herself look him, or anyone else, in the eye. But she could tell by glancing over everyone's faces that this news was not being taken as she'd hoped.

"You didn't get to pick the weapon?" Natasha asked. She glanced from Alessia to Loki, "You mean all that time and research, and you didn't manage it? I thought you were supposed to have a silver tongue?"

"What weapon will you be fighting with, then?" Clint asked.

"Broadsword." Alessia said. She tried to sound casual about it, but she felt her mouth get dry and she could see the way Clint's shoulders slumped.

"What's your strategy then?" Steve asked. He was sitting next to Clint at the bar. Natasha was sitting between Bucky and Scott on the couch and Sam was leaning on the other side of the breakfast bar, watching on his feet. Thor appeared to have leapt up from the vacant spot on Scott's other side when the door opened. Alessia noted that Wanda was not present.

"Well, the location we agreed upon," Alessia said, "Is um- no don't tell me- the Bjorntyran." Her mouth felt full of consonants as she said it. Thor was the only person who gave any form of recognition at the word.

"It's a lake of ice on Jotunheim." He explained, his brow furrowed, "Is it because you're more used to the cold than he is?"

"No," Clint answered for Alessia, "It's because she's been ice skating since she was old enough to tie the laces."

Alessia nodded, feeling a bit pleased with herself. While Surmayath slipped and slid, she would be able to comfortably maneuver the ice. Then why did Clint still look so worried?

"You've never even held a broadsword before, Alessia." he said.

"Well, no." Alessia agreed hesitantly. She clasped her hands together nervously. "Do you know how to use one, Thor?" Clint continued, and Alessia realized another giant problem she'd overlooked. Most of her teachers didn't know how to use one, either.

"I have some basic training." Thor said doubtfully.

"I am skilled with a broadsword," Reemanaskel interjected, "But I am worried that my instruction would be ill fitted for someone facing an opponent so much stronger and larger than them."

Alessia cracked her knuckles nervously.

"What about you?" She asked, turning to Loki.

He gave her a sad pained look. "My expertise has always been in mastering illusions. My skill with a broadsword is no better than my brother's."

"But I know someone who can teach you!" Thor said suddenly. "Someone who's used to facing opponents bigger and stronger than they are."

He and Loki shared a look. "It's a good idea." Loki agreed, almost sounding as if he wished he had thought of it. Thor grinned and clapped his hands. "I shall send the summons immediately!." He strolled out of the room looking rather pleased with himself. Alessia felt slightly better until she saw the look Clint and Natasha were giving each other.

"Well, it was the only thing I could think of to do!" Alessia snapped. "And besides, it isn't my fault."

"Well, no, of course it isn't" Natasha said, before shooting Loki a loathsome glance.

"And it's not his fault either!" Alessia snapped, growing irritated. "He tried his best, okay?"

Natasha gave Alessia a strange look, but Alessia crossed her arms and looked away from the staring eyes of the rest of the room. "Whatever." She muttered as she strode out of the room. She let the door swing shut behind her. She didn't want to have to deal with this. She wasn't going to listen to them tell her how badly she'd fucked up and then blame it on Loki. It had been _her_ idea. And she had thought it was a pretty good one up until she'd had to say it out loud. She was well on her way to being a shitty queen. Or just dead.

"Oh, please, you can put me back in my cell in five minutes, can't you? I just want to talk to her."

Alessia whirled around, her skirts fluttering around her. Loki had followed her out, and Steve had caught up with him ready to escort him back down.

Steve gave him an irritated look, but didn't say anything just cocked an eyebrow and glanced at Alessia as if to say "Do you want me to get him out of here?"

"It's fine." Alessia said in a dull monotone. "Let him say what he needs to say."

Steve gave Loki a suspicious look, but turned back to the door saying "Five minutes."

When the door had shut, Alessia stood, arms crossed, eyebrow cocked, watching Loki.

"I'm sorry." He said. Alessia uncrossed her arms. "It _is_ my fault. Entirely. The Malngang was my idea in the first place and if I hadn't-"

"Would you quit?" Alessia cut in wearily. "I'm sick of it, okay? I'm the one who chose to run off and offer myself up to Surmayath, I'm the one who challenged him to a Malngang, and I'm the one who told you to stop the negotiations and pick a spot on Jotunheim. Nobody else. If I'm going to be a Queen I have to make my own decisions and stand by them. I'm sick of everyone acting like they can just blame you for everything. You saved our _lives_ when you told me about the Malngang. So fuck them okay? You've nothing to apologize for."

She spat it out heatedly. Her fists clenched and unclenched with her bottled up rage. It was unfair to act like Alessia's mistakes were the work of some conniving third party. Like she didn't even have the autonomy to mess things up for herself.

Loki looked taken aback. For a moment he didn't say anything.

"Do you mean that?" He asked.

"Of course I do." She snapped irritably. "What would I get out of lying about it?"

Loki smiled. Icey blue eyes lighting up in his pale face. "You're going to be an amazing queen, Sinrutha." He said, sweeping into an elegant bow. Alessia bristled at her birth name. She turned around, not staying to watch him rise back up.

"Yeah, if I live that long."


	20. Chapter Nineteen

Trigger warning: this chapter contains a flashback to the night before Alessia met Clint: Aka themes of rape/sexual violence. this part of the fic will start when you see the row of asterisks ***** and another row will indicate the triggering part is over. its very short, and while it doesn't get too graphic, I wanted to make sure that anyone who wants to skip it is able to, especially since this only has a T rating.

Chapter Nineteen

Alessia changed out of her gown irritably. Even though it was only four o'clock, she put on the sweatpants and baggy tee shirt she'd been using as pajamas. She crawled into her bed and snuggled up under the covers. Why did it feel like the only person who was on her side was the megalomaniac who tried to take over the planet three years ago? She thought about calling her mom, but what could she say? Her parents didn't know about the Malngang, and she intended to keep it that way. They would only worry.

Loki was acting like a perfect prince charming. But he was the bad guy. And Wanda hadn't shown up after she'd gotten back. Why did everyone have to be there to judge her first decision as a ruler so poorly? They would all think she was an incompetent ditz. Stark would definitely think that. Clint. Natasha. Bucky.

When she thought of Bucky, a weird squirmy feeling twisted around in her belly. That yucky, awful feeling that she felt all too often in middle school and high school. She liked him. And he was way out of her league.

"As if defeating a warrior five times my size weren't enough fucking drama." She said into her pillow. "He's gonna kill me. and they're gonna blame Loki and it's gonna start a war that gets all of humanity wiped out."

Hot tears welled in her eyes, and for once she didn't try to hold them back. She just hugged her pillow. The only thing worse than feeling like she was whiling away the days before her ultimate demise and the destruction of earth, was feeling completely alone in it. Everyone seemed to think her decision was the wrong one. Only Loki seemed to support her, but how could she find a friend in him? He was the god of lies, she could never believe a word he said, no matter how true it rang in her heart. No matter how easy it would be to simply fall into him. He would tell her she was right, that she was a magnificent queen… because if she loved him than he could be more powerful.

She pressed her face into her pillow, smothering the sobs.

Natasha disapproved of her decision. Clint didn't seem to think it was the right move. Wanda didn't even show up-did she have anyone? Well, atleast Thor didn't act like she was a dead man walking. He was a nice guy. Maybe that could be enough. Just one friend. She didn't care if it was romantic or not. She just needed a friend.

A knock came from the door. Alessia quickly wiped her eyes and cleared her throat.

"Um, who is it?"

"It's me," Bucky's voice. Alessia's insides turned over. "Are you okay in there?"

"I'b fine." She said. The snot clogging up her voice was audible. She rolled out of the bed to grab the toilet paper from the bathroom. She faced the sink. In the mirror, her face looked wrecked by tears.

"It's just…" Bucky started saying, then trailed off for a few seconds. Alessia blew her nose as quietly as she could manage. Something scratched at the other side of the bedroom door.

"Alessia, these walls are thin." Bucky said finally.

Alessia's eyelids fluttered closed. _He heard me._

She didn't respond. The scratch at the door came again, followed by a needy whine.

"Look, if you need someone to talk to. Just. you know, I'm only a few steps away." His voice sounded pained. Alessia opened her eyes to the mirror again. Red and puffy, black mascara tears running down her face. Couldn't she just fling the door open and hug Bucky and cry into his ridiculously muscular chest? Hadn't she done that very thing only yesterday morning?

"and... and if you don't want to talk to someone, you can always just pet Buttercup. I think she wants to see you." The scratching. The little puppy whine that came with it.

A fresh wave of tears rolled out of Alessia's eyes and she ran to the door. Hand on the knob, she hesitated. This felt important. If she opened this door now, would she be able to hold back things that should better be left unsaid? If she let Bucky in, would she cry her heart out and tell him she felt soul crushingly lonely and scared? Would she cling to him desperately and tell him that she just wanted to feel loved before she died? Would she kiss him through a waterfall of tears in the slim hope that he might kiss her back?

Yes. if she opened that door, Alessia knew that she wouldn't be able to stop herself from acting that way. Seconds ticked away. Still she held the knob, heart pounding. The scratch came again. Alessia took a deep, fortifying breath and clenched the knob in her fist.

She opened the door.

Bucky, quiet as he was, must have slipped away while she deliberated. The hallway was empty save Buttercup, who pranced happily into her room. Alessia stood there a moment feeling jilted.

"Bucky?" She said, a halfhearted whisper. She glanced around one last time before closing the door. Buttercup sat expectantly on the bed.

"Well, atleast I know he does actually like me, even if it's just as a friend." She told Buttercup. She slumped on the bed. Maybe she should just watch torchwood and lay around for the rest of the day. She could always ruin her friendship with Bucky later. She snuggled up with Buttercup and pulled her laptop from the nightstand.

* * *

"Grip the handle with your dominant hand closest to the hilt."

"Okay,"

"When you lift it, the sword should be an extension of your arm.

"Uh… how's this?"

Sif examined Alessia's hold on the weapon.

"Not bad, but straighten your back a bit more. and square your shoulders-much better."

They were training on the eighth floor again, but unlike Alessia's other teachers, Sif didn't allow the others to watch their training session. Like Reemanaskel's lessons, they were in private. It felt nice, not feeling the expectant eyes on her.

"Now when I say, I want you to lift the sword up and strike a blow on mine, alright? One, two, three, now!"

Clack.

The vibrations traveled unpleasantly up Alessia's elbows.

"Alright, now watch the way I do it, and try to copy me."

* * *

Alessia finished training at seven thirty, which left her a few hours to do whatever she wanted to before bed. She considered watching T.V, but it seemed like a waste of her time, considering the Malngang was in three weeks, and she wasn't sure that she'd-

Alessia pushed that thought away. She needed to stay positive as much as possible. That fact alone ruled out spending time with Clint. Though she considered him a good friend, he, as well as most of the others, seemed to think her chances of winning were slim, and it made spending time with them kind of a downer.

Yet the only people who didn't seem to think it was time to start planning her funeral were Bucky, Wanda, Thor and … Loki. not exactly a group that was going to mesh well with each other. She'd just hung out with Bucky a few days earlier, and since she was planning on taking up Wanda's invitation to play scrabble with her and vision later that week, she was left with either Thor or Loki.

She was heading back up to her room to take a shower when she ran into Steve and Sam.

"Hey, wassup?" She asked, trying to sound bright and perky so that Steve wouldn't look at her like she was a picture of a fallen soldier.

"Taking Steve on a night out." Sam said proudly. Steve wore a sheepish look. It seemed like this was something he had to be talked into.

"Oh yeah?" Alessia asked, intrigued. "You guys gonna hit up some new york bars?"

"That's the plan." Sam said. "You interested?"

"Unfortunately, my twenty first is still a few weeks away." Alessia said, somewhat glad for the easy excuse. She had no desire to spend the evening trotting from club to club.

"You're only twenty?" Steve asked, seeming a bit surprised.

"Well, actually, according to Reemanaskel, my seventh birthday was about two months ago." Alessia said with a shrug. "But that's Muspelian years. Besides, my I.D won't be valid for buying alcohol until the sixteenth, which is what really matters."

"I didn't know your birthday was coming up," Steve said. He and Sam shared a look, and Alessia immediately cursed herself. Last thing she wanted was for the avengers to throw her a birthday party.

"Well, its not, because my birthday just happened two months ago. November 16th is just the day my parents- well Grandma- found me- and anyway I hate cake, and I don't want presents- unless like, Tony wants to give me car or something, which I could actually kind of use- But don't tell him I said that!"

Steve and Sam both just laughed, and made for the elevator. Alessia was about to turn around and try to shower off her sweat and complete social awkwardness, when she remembered.

"Oh yeah, do you guys know where I could find Thor?"

"Right now?" Sam asked, scratching his chin. "He's taking Jane out to dinner tonight, but they might not have left yet. How come you need to see him?"

Alessia was caught a bit off guard at the prospect that Thor already had plans. Yet why shouldn't he? It was a Friday night, and it seemed like everyone was going out. She tried to sound casual as she said.

"Oh, actually, I had to ask him some question about like… space stuff. But, if he's going out… I'll probably just ask Loki instead."

Steve, who had been distracted by something on his phone while waiting by the elevator, looked up at this point.

" _Loki?"_ He asked, skeptically. "Why don't you just ask Reemanaskel or Sif?"

 _Because Reemanaskel holds me up as an impossible queen figure, and I barely know Sif?_

Alessia was drawing up blank. She was usually so good at coming up with lies in these situations. Steve's skeptical stare turned tense and the elevator arrived.

"I'd be careful with that guy if I were you." He said. Sam's brow creased as he looked from Steve to Alessia, but he shook his head and said nothing. They both entered the elevator while Alessia tried her hardest to think of a quip or comeback, but she came up empty as the the doors closed on Steve and Sam.

Alessia stomped her foot in frustration. "This is bullshit." She said in a heated whisper to herself. "Its none of their fucking business." She threaded her fingers in her hair and cursed herself for looking like an idiot in front of Captain America for the second time in two days.

Alessia deliberated about actually going down to Loki's sub-level prison cell all the while as she showered and dressed herself again. She wondered what he would say to her if she went out of her way to see him for no reason. More than that, she wondered what everyone else would say if they found out. Was Steve going to tell Clint? Would Natasha tell them it was all a ruse? Would Wanda correct her?

Alessia finally decided that since Sam and Steve already knew, she might as well go down and see Loki, since the damage was basically already done. Fuck, what was Clint going to say to her anyway?

Loki was being kept on the tenth-floor under ground. However, Stark's game floor was the thirty-sixth. She made a pit-stop there and was glad to find it completely empty of other people.

It was quite an impressive collection of games that Tony had stocked in there. A billiards table, air hockey, and a large round table being the centerpiece of it all. Two of the four walls of the room were floor-to-ceiling bookcases, fully packed with board games, while the other two walls had old-school arcade games like space invaders and pinball. If Alessia had known what was in here sooner, she'd honestly have been trying to convince everyone to do a game night.

She spent a few minutes looking over the board games trying to find something that worked with only two players. Unfortunately, most of the games that caught her eye required at least three, so she made a note of it to bring up when she saw Wanda and Vision for Scrabble.

She selected a couple of the games and went back to the elevator, hoping that bringing games would allow for more of an excuse for the visit and shift the focus off of her. She almost chickened out again, once on the elevator, but she forced herself to press the sub-level ten button.

The elevators opened to a long hallway that lead to another door. There were four guards waiting in the room, and they all tensed when the elevator opened.

"This floor is off-limits," One of the guards said. He was standing closest to the elevator and seemed to think Alessia had maybe ended up here by accident.

"This is where Loki is staying, isn't it?" She asked, stepping off the elevator with no regard to the four sentries, all tensing at her entrance.

"That information is confidential, you need a clearance level-one to be down here." Said another guard, one who seemed less likely to take bullshit than the first one.

Alessia wheeled around on him, some of the games she was holding rattled in her arms, but she was determined to practice her queenly death glare.

"Excuse me?" She asked. _Be regal._

The guard was unimpressed. "You need a pass from Stark himself to be allowed entry in there."

"Do you _know_ who I am?" She asked.

The guards all glanced at each other.

"An intern?" one guessed.

"I am the heir to the throne of Muspelheim!" She said as grandly as she could. "And I _definitely_ have access to this floor!"

"So you can play Yahtzee with Loki?" One of the guards asked with a condescending smirk. She felt herself flush, and clutched at the games self consciously.

"How did you get in here?" A third guard asked.

"What do you mean? I took the elevator." She said indignantly.

"Should we call her in?" The no-bullshit-taking guard said.

"Better be safe," Said the last the guard. He pulled the talkie off of his chest.

Alessia was irritated that her queenly demeanor wasn't the super-power she had envisioned it would be. But she was sure that if they asked Tony- then he would be yet another person to know that she was visiting Loki.

Though the prospect irked her, she was pretty sure Stark would grant her access and not mention it to anyone. She realized a second later, however, that this is not what the guards were doing.

"Yeah, Happy? Calling in a possible security breach. She says she's that alien they're training but we think she might just be another one of this creep's fanatics."

Alessia's mouth dropped open. "You-WHAT?!" She was appalled. Were they saying they thought she was some kind of Loki-Fangirl? Where they saying he _had_ those?!

Whoever the guard was talking to had obviously said something in response, because the guard said "Well she showed up with a bunch of board games and is trying to convince us she's a queen…."

"Oh my god, just call your boss and he'll tell you I'm allowed to be down here." Alessia groaned. This was humiliating.

"This could take a few minutes." said the nicer guard, who had first spoken to Alessia. "You should have gotten a permit before you came down here."

Alessia sighed but waited the extra five minutes for man on the other end of the talkie to check the security cameras and confirm her identity. After that apparently she was allowed in. Maybe Tony himself wasn't involved in this security protocol. Maybe he would never know she had visited Loki.

The guards opened the door at the end of the hall for her finally, and she was allowed into the room in the back.

The half that she walked into was divided from the back half by a glass wall, & it was in the back half that Loki was, laying on his bed and idly tossing an apple in the air and catching it over and over again.

When she walked in he stopped catching his apple and turned to look. He immediately sat up, surprise apparent in his tone and expression as he said: "Alessia?! What are you doing in here?"

"I thought you might be bored." She glanced at the apple he was holding and cocked an eyebrow. He glanced at the apple and grinned, chuckling slightly. He met her eyes, his still glinting with humor. "I suppose you might be right."

* * *

She knew she was dreaming as soon as she was in Dylan's car. The upholstery was peeling faux leather, and it smelled like cigarettes and old beer cans. The only light was the moon and Dylan's cigarette. They had eaten drive through fast food while he told her about football practice.

Now was the part he tossed his forty ounce out the window and asked her if she had had a good time so far. She never said anything back, because now was the time she started to realize that Dylan Mathis might have been the worst person she could have picked to end up alone with. He put out his cigarette on the dash of the car and leaned into the passenger seat to start kissing her. She tried to pull away but he just grabbed her.

"Dylan, stop, please, you're hurting me."

"C'mon Baby, stop squirming, I know you want me."

"No- No Dylan please stop, please stop, I don't think I can do this." He was pinning her to the seat now, on top of her, trapping her underneath him.

"What, what's the matter? Are you really a dyke like they all say?" His hands, which had been holding her arms painfully tight, moved to her chest, roughly grasping at her breasts.

"No, Dylan I just-"

"C'mon baby, if you didn't want me you wouldn't be here."

He started unzipping her pants now. She tried to push him off of her, but it wouldn't work. She was crying, begging, started screaming, and then-

Fire. everywhere. Her hands, her arms, her chest where he wouldn't stop touching her, burning him.

He sprung away from her with a shriek- a girly shriek, she had thought, somewhat satisfied for a second. But she wouldn't stop burning, didn't know how to make it go away.

" _FREAK!"_ Dylan shouted at her, clutching at his raw hands. " _YOU FUCKING FREAK!"_ She tried to open the car door to leave, but the flames were now engulfing the vehicle, and her hands melted the plastic handle. The fumes were making her dizzy. She was trapped in this car with Dylan. She was going to die.

The flames grew stronger, hotter, a whining noise came from the hood of the car. She had to get out. She felt like she was going to pass out, and her eyes were watering so badly she could barely see. She tried the door handle again and found the window crank. Relief flooded her as she realized the crank still worked, and in a frantic daze she rolled the window down and tumbled out. She ran from the car. A few feet to the lake where she plunged her still flaming hands into the water. She watched the lake water boil around her hands through tears. It had happened again. She hadn't been able to stop it.

An explosion behind her made her jolt. It was the car. Dylan… no.

She started running again. She was crying madly, kept falling down. This was the part of the dream where things started happening differently than they did in real life. She would only run through the woods for a few minutes before the dawn would come, and when dawn came, she would see Clint waiting for her at the edge of his property. She would run straight into him, and hug him. Sometimes she would say "I love you, dad." And sometimes she would say "Thank you." and sometimes she didn't say anything at all, but the dream always ended with Clint saving her, just like he did in real life.

Alessia got to the end of the forest. It was still night, and Clint was nowhere to be found. Confused she turned around and around. No. He was always here.

There. In the distance, a figure, it had to be him. She ran towards him, more frantically than ever. His back was to her. She yelled out to him, and he turned.

It was Loki. She stopped, fear gripping her. It was always Clint. He was the one who saved her. It was always Clint.

Loki held out his hand, smiled charmingly. Alessia couldn't feel her legs or her arms. Suddenly everything was black. She tried to wake up. She felt like she was floating in another dimension, one separate somehow from her brain. Up and down didn't exist here. Nothing felt like anything. _This must be what it's like to be dead._

Suddenly Alessia landed on something hard. She gasped air into her lungs. Her arm and hip hurt where she had landed on them. Her other arm was caught in something- her blanket. She'd fallen off the bed.

She couldn't get her breathing to regulate. She kept gasping like she was suffocating. Her hands and feet felt numb and tingly, like she was still in that floating blackness. Nothing felt real. Nothing felt solid.

"Alessia?"

There was a tap at the door. It was Bucky's voice. "Are you okay? I heard a crash."

Alessia couldn't speak. Her breath wouldn't allow it.

There was a timid creak on the door, which quickly became the door slamming open.

"Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?"

Bucky was on the floor in a second, intense look on his face as he peered into Alessia's eyes in the darkness.

She still couldn't speak. Her breathing was loud and laboured and her hands were tingling so much it was like she couldn't feel them. She didn't notice herself doing it until afterwards, but she had grabbed Bucky's hands and was probably holding them painfully tight-well, at least one of them would have been too tight.

She noticed a second before he pulled his hands out of hers and pushed at her shoulders- pushing her away. Alessia might have felt spurned for a moment, if her anxiety hadn't eclipsed that emotion. But not a second later he was pulling her back to him, her back against his chest and his legs on either side of her. He folded her arms over her chest and put his hands over her wrists so that she was completely enclosed in him.

"Shhhh, just breathe." He said softly into her ear. "Hey, slow down a bit, breathe with me," he said, and started a slow deep inhale. Alessia could feel his chest filling up against her back. When he exhaled, his breath landed on her neck, causing goosebumps to cross her skin. She gripped at his hands again and tried to match his pace.

It took a few minutes, but eventually her breathing became normal, and her hands stopped tingling. She was slumped against his chest, feeling exhausted, thirsty, and was covered in a nervous sweat, but she felt normal again.

She licked her lips and tried to swallow. Her throat was so dry.

"Thank you." She said. Her voice cracked a little.

"No problem, doll." Bucky whispered back. He rubbed backs of her hands gently with his own. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah." She said. It seemed stupid now. She'd had the dream so many times before, why did she have this reaction _now?_

"Was it a nightmare?"

Alessia nodded into the darkness. They were so close he could feel everything she did.

There was a pause, and she could tell Bucky was debating whether to say something or not.

"Was it about the Malngang?" He asked finally.

"No." Alessia replied.

Bucky didn't say anything back. Alessia realized it probably sounded like she was lying. But she didn't want to lie to Bucky. and she didn't want him to think that she was lying, either.

"It was about…" But it was so hard to say. Almost impossible. The only time she'd ever told anyone was right after it happened, to Clint and her parents.

"It's okay." Bucky said.

"No. Listen."

He didn't say anything.

"When I was younger, I knew this guy."

Silence. Could she make herself tell the whole story?

"It was my first date. I'd never even kissed a boy before."

He still didn't say anything, but the way he was holding her tensed slightly. His arms pulling her in closer to him, almost imperceptibly, like he was doing it without thinking.

"He- He- He" No, she couldn't say it. It was too much.

"I didn't want to- I was afraid to- I-" She tried it again. What were the words she was looking for? Why couldn't she just spit it out?

"I said no, but. He didn't. Didn't. Wouldn't stop."

 _Say it Alessia._

"I killed him."

She felt Bucky take a slow deep breath and then exhale when she said it. But his arms didn't move from hers, his gentle manner didn't change.

"I didn't know how to control my powers yet." Alessia went on, as if it needed further clarification.

"I understand." Bucky said. It was simple. His words, his tone, Alessia knew it was the truth.

"You… understand." It wasn't a question because she didn't doubt him, but if he understood, then that meant…

"I understand." He repeated softly. His breath was at her ear. "I have nightmares like that too."

After Alessia calmed down Bucky quietly asked her if she would be able to go back to sleep.

"I-I don't know. I don't think so."

"Well, it's two A.M, it's still too early to try to wake up."

Then he paused and said hesitantly: "Would you be able to sleep if you weren't by yourself?"

"Maybe…" She replied skeptically, not thinking about what, with hindsight, was clearly coming next.

"You can sleep in my room then-If you'd like to." Bucky offered, finishing with some doubt in his voice.

Alessia tried to remain cool when she answered. "If you don't mind it- Well, I mean yes. Thank you."

So Bucky gently pushed away from her enough to stand up, and Alessia followed. When she got up Alessia noticed for the first time that he wasn't wearing a shirt or pajama pants, just boxers. Determined not to blush enough to glow in the dark, Alessia could feel her heartbeat quickening. Maybe she should turn back and try to sleep in her own bed. He lead the way across the hall to his bedroom, and Alessia forced herself to follow. The Malngang was less than three weeks away. She couldn't let fear or awkwardness stop her from living her life right now.

Bucky's bedroom was a mirror of her own. Same full size bed, same side table and armchair, same curtains and sheets-but Bucky was much tidier than Alessia, and there weren't clothes strewn everywhere like in Alessia's room.

Bucky settled back into his bed, on the side closest to the wall, and shook out his blankets so that they were spread more evenly over both halves. Alessia couldn't make herself meet his eyes as she climbed in after him. She stayed close to the edge of the bed as she settled herself in. Though she had slept in a tent with Bucky before, Sam had been there too, and they'd all had their own sleeping bags. This… why had she agreed to this?

Her heart was hammering as she pulled the covers up to her chin. She was painfully aware of the fact that she wasn't wearing a bra, and that Bucky was barely wearing anything. What would she do if he rolled over to spoon her? What if she accidentally touched him when she slept?

But as the minutes ticked by, and Alessia's heart slowed to a normal rate, she was able to hear Bucky's breathing become slow and regular. He didn't snore exactly, but she could tell he was asleep. She relaxed. This was no different than the other times she'd slept near him. And the sound of him breathing and the heat from his body did make her feel safer. Safe enough to drift off.

* * *

Alessia woke up feeling sluggish and rolled over trying to get more comfortable. It was only then that she remembered she had slept with Bucky the night before.

He was laying with his back to her. Maybe if she just moved very slowly, he wouldn't notice her leaving. Then she could just pretend last night never happened.

She moved one leg closer to the edge of the bed experimentally. No reaction from Bucky. Then she moved the other leg. It disturbed the blanket they shared. She froze. A few seconds passed. She raised one of her arms to hold the blanket in place- but Bucky rolled onto his back.

"You know, for someone who supposedly doesn't get cold, you sure do hog the blankets alot." He said, voice rough and groggy.

He grabbed a handful of the blanket that, had, admittedly been on Alessia's side of the bed, and pulled it over himself.

"Sorry," Alessia whispered. She needed to get out of here. It was too late to pretend he wasn't awake, but she could still leave before it got weird.

She started getting up out of the bed again when Bucky let out a moan of discontent.

"Don't leave!" He whined. Alessia turned to see Bucky's heavy lidded face half buried in the pillow. He'd rolled over to face her. "You're warm." He added by way of explanation.

Alessia stayed wrapped in the blanket uncertainly.

"Did you sleep okay?" Bucky asked. His eyes were closed when Alessia glanced back over to him.

"Yeah- Thanks."

"Don't mention it. I should be thanking you. So _warm_." He opened his eyes and gave Alessia a sweet, groggy smile. Alessia instinctively buried her face into her pillow.

"You okay?"

"Mmhmm" She replied through the stuffing of the pillow.

Bucky was silent for a few moments and Alessia gently tried to give herself an internal pep-talk.

 _This is no big deal. Just two totally normal friends doing totally normal friend stuff. Like sleeping with each other. Okay poor choice of words. We didn't.. SLEEP TOGETHER. We just…_

"What time do you have to start training this morning?" Bucky asked.

"Oh shit!" Alessia sat up at once, looking desperately for a clock.

"Woah, calm down, you're letting the cold in the bed." Bucky complained. But Alessia was already out of bed, looking for her phone, only to realize that of course it wasn't in here. But Bucky's clock said it was 5:45. She relaxed.

"I have to be down at seven," She said.

"Mmm. You have plenty of time, stay here."

But Alessia was already out of bed. She walked to the drawn curtains over Bucky's windows and pulled them back.

"Urrg!" Bucky groaned as the dim gray light hit his eyes. He pulled the covers over his face.

Alessia took a few moments to enjoy the view from the other side of the tower, but did have to admit that the one in her room was nicer. She drew the curtains shut so the light wouldn't bother Bucky.

She carefully picked her way towards the door in the semi-darkness, almost convinced that Bucky had fallen back asleep. But when she reached the door and started to open it he said "Leaving?"

"Yeah, I think I'm going to make something actually hot for breakfast for a change."

"Hmmm good idea." His voice was still rough from being asleep. Scratchy and deep. "I might join you."

"Well, you're going to have to get up and help if you want some, I'm not bringing you breakfast in bed."

He chuckled warmly, but the mattress creaked as he sat up.

"Meet you in the kitchen," Alessia said as she stepped out.

* * *

After washing her face and putting a sports bra on under her tee shirt, Alessia found Bucky had beat her to the kitchen. He was wearing a tee shirt and sweatpants and was starting the coffee. Then a match of rock-paper-scissors decided who got to make the waffles- Bucky won with rock, and Alessia shrugged her loss off and started making bacon instead.

Bucky poured two mugs of coffee just as the last strips of bacon were browning and the final scoop of waffle mix was sealed into the iron.

"How do you take your coffee?"

"Just a dash of milk, no sugar."

"Because you're sweet enough already?"

"Because I like it to taste as bitter as the tears of my enemies."

"You're adorable." Bucky said. He handed her the mug. Alessia didn't know how to respond, so she just cocked an eyebrow at him as she took the first sip of coffee. He smiled in return before taking a sip of his own mug and turning to unload the last waffles from the waffle maker. Alessia flipped the sizzling bacon over and tried to hide her smile from Bucky. She could get used to this.


End file.
